Apellate Advocacy 517

Appellate Advocacy - K. Matthews & G. Newland

• Course Number: LAW-517
• Course Type: Foundational and Experiential
• Credits: 2
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
• Description: This course will introduce upper-level students to the fundamentals of appellate practice. We’ll first emphasize the importance of developing a persuasive “theory of appeal” and discuss the research and brainstorming processes that lead to effective appellate storytelling.

Next, we’ll cover the foundations of good legal writing and oral argument. This section will include a comparative analysis of appellate briefs and oral arguments. We’ll review examples, good and bad, and discuss common elements of good briefs and arguments. Students will observe at least one appellate argument argued by counsel admitted to the bar and write a short reflection paper (1 page) on the quality of advocacy they observed.

Finally, each student will brief and orally argue two mock cases. The briefs will be short (ideally 8-12 pages) and students will receive detailed written feedback on their writing. For mock oral arguments, the adjunct professors will act as the panel and give oral feedback immediately after the argument. Non-arguing students will be in the audience for their classmates’ oral arguments, so they will be able to observe and learn from their peers.

We are working on developing an appellate practicum in which students are able to work on an appeal pending before an Oregon appellate court or the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. When that practicum is established, this course will be a prerequisite to participation.

Although this course is not a prerequisite for participating in an appellate moot court, it will also provide an excellent grounding for that experience.

• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Oral Arguments
• Capstone: no
• WIE: yes