Research, Reasoning, Writing, and Advocacy (RRWA)

Research, Reasoning, Writing, and Advocacy (RRWA) spans two semesters and offers six credits. To earn three credits each semester, students must satisfactorily complete all assignments and comply with the Course Rules. RRWA aims to help students develop the skills necessary to communicate professionally and also to do related work professionally, in teams and individually.

In the fall's RRWA I, students learn how to conduct basic legal research, mainly with state law, and how to cite legal authorities and to use the Bluebook as a research reference. Students also learn and practice written legal analysis in multiple formats and gain experience writing to clients. Finally, students develop oral presentation skills through various exercises.

In the spring's RRWA II, the focus shifts to more sophisticated research and writing projects and to advocacy. Students learn more about researching federal and administrative law and about efficient and cost-effective research strategy. They also adopt a transactional perspective and write a short contract. Then they research and write briefs, which are documents submitted to a court to advocate on a client's behalf. Finally, students learn about and practice oral advocacy, including by presenting an oral argument before a mock court.