LWI One-Day Workshops 2023
LWI Professional Status Advice & Support Committee
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
Friday, December 1 – virtual (MST)
Workshop on Improving Legal Writing Faculty Status
LWI’s Professional Status Committee Advice & Support Committee (with logistical support from ASU) will be hosting a One-Day Workshop to talk about status issues, particularly the ABA proposal on eliminating Standard 405(d). This session, which will be held virtually on December 1, 2023, is truly meant to be a workshop – while committee members will participate to discuss both advocacy for and implementation of status changes, we would like to have presentations from members of the LWI community on a broad range of status topics, including efforts to improve job security, salary, workload, titles, and voting rights. We would also like to have breakout groups for mentorship and discussion. So if you are interested in presenting or being part of these discussion groups, please submit a proposal through LWI. If you have questions, please contact Mary Bowman at mary.n.bowman@asu.edu.
University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Saturday, December 2 – in-person (Louisville, KY – EST)
Embracing Change
In a rapidly evolving landscape characterized by technological advancements, societal shifts, and new policy directions, the legal profession finds itself at a crucial crossroads. We are pleased to extend an invitation for submissions to our Call for Proposals, focused on the theme: "Adapting to Change in Legal Education." This initiative aims to explore the myriad ways in which law schools, legal writing programs, and the academic community are responding to and proactively preparing for change.
We are particularly interested in proposals that examine a wide array of challenges and opportunities, including but not limited to:
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Generative AI: Understanding the impact and navigating the ethical dilemmas associated with artificial intelligence in legal research and writing.
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NextGen Bar: Adaptations in bar examination formats and preparation strategies in light of a rapidly changing legal landscape.
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Programmatic Changes: Innovative changes in curriculum design, teaching methodologies, or institutional policies intended to better equip students for the legal profession's evolving needs.
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Tenure Adaptations: Discussions around changing tenure policies, and how these shifts may influence pedagogical strategies and the scope or focus of academic research.
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Adapting to Political Shifts and Social Justice Movements: Engaging with the influence of political shifts on legal education and how law schools are responding to calls for social justice, both in the curriculum and in broader institutional practices.
Our aim is to assemble a rich tapestry of perspectives that not only critically examine the current state of legal education but also propose forward-thinking solutions for adaptation. By curating diverse perspectives, we aspire to contribute to the development of an adaptive, resilient, and responsive legal education system that meets the demands of the 21st century.
Stetson University College of Law
Saturday, December 2 – virtual (Gulfport, FL–EST)
Building the Future of the Discipline
We invite proposals on a range of topics dedicated to the future of the discipline of legal research and writing. From generative AI to the NextGen bar exam and beyond, the discipline is in a period of rapid change. We invite presentations on teaching, using new tech, scholarship, and other discipline-building topics.
University of Florida Levin College of Law
Thursday, December 7 – virtual (Gainesville, FL–EST)
We're Going Back to the Future...Preparing Students for Next Generation Lawyering
We are teaching a new generation of students how to lawyer in a rapidly changing legal landscape. How can we best prepare all our students for the next generation of lawyering, where they will need to communicate effectively across multiple platforms, audiences, and contexts? What pedagogical and practical flux capacitor can get us there? What are some best practices and techniques that not only teach necessary skills but create inclusive classrooms for all students – including first generation lawyers, non-native speakers, and neurodivergent students. We are seeking presentations on teaching techniques, pedagogical theories, systems of assessment, and the incorporation of new information systems that can fuel our ongoing efforts to help our students in their journey to the future practice of law.
Northern Kentucky University, The Salmon P. Chase School of Law
Friday, December 8–virtual (Highland Heights, KY-EST)
Meeting Their Needs: Global Accessibility in the Classroom
Most classes include students from a variety of backgrounds--from Gen X to Gen Z, from English majors to engineers to doctors attending law school after a lengthy career. Some students are from rural backgrounds, some urban; some have lots of support from legacy families and some have never met an attorney in person before law school. How do you meet the needs of all of these students with differing experiences and abilities in ways that effectively communicate the substance of a given course? We welcome proposals on a variety of topics relative to educating diverse students and are particularly interested in new and innovative ways of teaching for the modern practice of law. We hope to foster discussion on teaching to diverse student bodies of any nature. We welcome proposals from all faculty, including LRW, doctrinal, clinical and library professors.
Vermont Law & Graduate School
Friday, December 8 – virtual (South Royalton, VT–EST)
Use It or Lose It: Upper-Level Writing for Skills Maintenance
The many opportunities, some obvious, some less so, to incorporate writing and related skills beyond the 1L curriculum in advanced classes and other opportunities. We encourage proposals on all aspects of written, oral advocacy, and client communication skills, including skills related to professional identity formation.
Elon University School of Law
Tuesday, December 12 – in-person (Greensboro, NC–EST)
Now, You Get to Write: Support for Every Stage of Scholarship
As legal writing professors, we often don’t receive the same level of support as our doctrinal counterparts when it comes to scholarship. This LWI One-Day Workshop is seeking to change that! Specifically, we are looking for presenters to provide advice and feedback on all stages of the writing process, including but not limited to: choosing a topic, using a particular format, hiring a research assistant, finding a title, shopping for publication offers, carving out time, organizing text, drafting footnotes, applying for summer funding, promoting your scholarship, developing a research agenda, and anything else you think may be helpful! Whatever type of writing in which you engage—whether it be law review articles or less formal publications, scholarship related to legal writing or another field of law—this workshop seeks to provide support for all legal writing scholars. We hope you will submit a proposal for a relevant session.
