The Future of Legal Education: Comparative Perspectives

Requirements for Final Paper

Format: 12 point font (Times Roman), one-inch margins (on top, bottom, left and right), double-spaced text, single-spaced footnotes. (Please use footnotes at bottom of page, not end notes.) Place your name on the first page and please place number on each page. You should follow the citation requirements set out in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th edition 2005). Do not use Blue Book typeface conventions in the "Bluepages" section (pp. 3-43); use the rules for journal citations found starting at p. 45. There is no minimum number of footnotes or citations. Your writing should be of the same finished quality as would be expected of a law review note. Citations should be complete and correct. The grade may be reduced for persistent spelling errors, typographical errors, or other evidence of sloppiness.

Content: The central topic is to describe one or more innovative approaches to legal education in another country and discuss how this innovation might be helpful to American legal educators interested in implementing one or more recommendations of the Carnegie Report. The paper should be written as if the audience consisted of American legal educators and members of the American legal profession involved in developing standards and procedures for admission to legal practice. The paper should be of publishable quality. Satisfactory completion of these requirements will satisfy the upper-level legal writing requirement. The final paper should contain at least the following content:

(1) A short background description of the legal system, legal profession, and requirements for becoming a lawyer in the foreign country, necessary to understand the described educational innovation. You should highlight relevant differences between that country and the US.

(2) A description of the innovative approach to legal education indicating how it differs from the traditional approach in that country and why the innovation has been attempted.

(3) A thorough review of information already available about the costs and benefits of the innovation, including evidence (if any) that it has accomplished some of the goals of professional legal education described by the Carnegie Report. If appropriate, discussion of additional research that could provide more information about these issues.

(4) Explanation of how the innovation illustrates ways that one or more of the Carnegie recommendations could be implemented in the US.

(5) Bibliography (not to be counted as part of the 25 page minimum length requirement)

Length: 25 pages minimum, no maximum.

Due: Email submission of final paper by 5pm on Monday, November 26. Label your file as follows: FinalPaper-[Surname].doc (e.g. SummerPaper-Cunningham.doc).

Rules for late submission of final paper without good cause or PRIOR written permission of instructor:
-- Papers received after 5pm on November 26 but before 5 pm on November 27 will have the grade reduced by one letter grade equivalent (e.g. from B to C).
-- Papers received after 5pm on November 27 but before 5 pm on November 28 will have the grade reduced by two letter grades equivalent (e.g. from B to D).
-- Papers received after 5pm on November 28 but before 5 pm on November 29 will have the grade reduced by three letter grades equivalent (e.g. from B to F).
-- Failure to submit the paper by 5pm on November 29 will result in failing grade for the final paper.

Absent extraordinary reasons, prior permission for late submission must be obtained at least 7 calendar days before the due date. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure she has confirmed such permission in writing from the instructor.