Educational

Does “Public Interest Drift” Exacerbate the “Justice Gap”?

Posted on by Christina Smith

By Zachary Newman* and Salena Copeland† on November 14, 2023

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Introduction

Many aspiring lawyers attend law school because they want to engage in legal work to assist marginalized or disenfranchised communities. These individuals want to acquire the skills to support social justice and public interest efforts in the legal world. They may want to help prevent unjust evictions, support the rights of people with disabilities, secure protections for domestic violence survivors, fight for access to healthcare, defend consumers challenging illegitimate debt collections, or engage in the myriad of other civil matters that legal aid lawyers help with.[1] They may be motivated by an awareness that many people facing legal issues are unable to afford a lawyer to obtain counsel on how to navigate the complexities of the legal system and fight for their rights.[2]

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Does Mindfulness Enhance the Study and Practice of Law?

Posted on by Christina Smith

By Rhonda V. Magee* on November 14, 2023

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Introduction

In her blog, Seeking Serenity, When Lawyers Go Zen, author Amanda Enayati reflects on an interview with U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Stephen Breyer, in which the Justice briefly discussed a practice that supports him in maintaining his physical wellbeing and provides a background resource for his demanding work at the highest level of the legal profession.[1]

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Embracing Creativity in Legal Education

Posted on by Kirkman Ridd

By Katie Moran* on April 19, 2023

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It all started with a single cup of coffee in November 2021. My good friend and fellow University of San Francisco School of Law (“USF Law”) alum, Jerome Hawkins, and I were talking about his new business, Hawkline Video, where he directs and produces documentary interviews with highly successful attorneys from all over the country.[1] Jerome was telling me about the similarities in what made many of the lawyers great.

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From Obstacle to Opportunity: Strategies to Enhance Happiness in the Practice of Law

Posted on by Kirkman Ridd

By Judge Lynn Duryee* on March 7, 2023

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Introduction

The practice of law is hard. The workload, long hours, demanding clients, competition—all hard. Being a judge is not quite as hard, yet it has its challenges too: vexatious litigants, extreme isolation, courthouse politics, and the ethical mandate to act with dignity and courtesy at all times—a feat achievable only by superheroes, in my opinion. The time when dissatisfied family law litigants initiated a recall campaign against me—that was a rough patch. And yet, after forty-two years in the law, I am still energized and excited by my chosen career.

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Rule 506(c) Lifts Ban on General Solicitation but Now Startups Must Select Investors Even More Carefully

Posted on by kenji

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by Noah S. Johnson*

Raising money is a major step for any young company. The questions of how and from where to secure financing are at the forefront of any entrepreneur’s business strategy. The answers to these questions are also strongly influenced by federal securities laws. An entrepreneur’s initial instinct may be to simply start emailing and calling wealthy individuals or venture capital firms. This would seem like a perfectly logical place to start. But, by doing so, the entrepreneur may quickly run afoul of the ban against general solicitation found in Rule 506 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933.[1] Despite the Rule’s restrictions, companies have long relied on Rule 506 to raise funds because the Rule offers exemption from complex registration requirements and from complying with many requirements of state securities laws.[2] Continue reading “Rule 506(c) Lifts Ban on General Solicitation but Now Startups Must Select Investors Even More Carefully” →

Team-Based Learning: Innovative Pedagogy in Legal Writing

Posted on by kenji

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by Anne E. Mullins*

Team-Based Learning (TBL) has been used around the world in a variety of disciplines, such as medicine, nursing, business, sciences, math, education, and accounting.[1] TBL is a collaborative learning method that follows a sequence of individual work, followed by teamwork, followed by feedback.[2] The key components of TBL are (1) strategically formed, permanent teams, (2) the readiness assurance process, (3) team exercises, and (4) accountability.[3] This Article briefly reviews each of these components and describes how to implement them in a first-year legal writing course. Then, the Article will report on the triumphs and challenges of the TBL model in my own class. Others who are interested in transitioning to TBL should be able to use this Article as a starting place in their transition.

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Fast Track Your Mindset: Engineering Confidence and Streamlining Feedback for Full Steam Success in Legal Practice

Posted on by kenji

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by Deborah L. Borman*

Students face two obstacles to success in law school and later in legal practice: reduced confidence and an inability to receive feedback. Feeling insecure and having trouble internalizing feedback are interrelated emotional responses that can derail both the legal education experience and a subsequent career in the law. Continue reading “Fast Track Your Mindset: Engineering Confidence and Streamlining Feedback for Full Steam Success in Legal Practice” →

A Rhetorical Exercise: Persuasive Word Choice*

Posted on by kenji

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by Stephen E. Smith**

“The choice of appropriate and striking words has a marvellous power and an enthralling charm for the reader.”[1]

Persuasion can spring from many fonts: a sound argument, a sympathetic set of facts, even the good grooming of an oral advocate.[2] In writing a legal brief, word choice is an important persuasion tool. Through word choice, legal writers may characterize a party’s behavior, clarify a scene, or recast an interaction. For example, it is very different to describe an utterance as “offering a choice,” or “issuing an ultimatum.”

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Educating the Masses About Gun Trusts

Posted on by kenji

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By Joseph E. Gruber Jr.*

Gun ownership is a prevalent topic discussed throughout the United States. Whether you are a stout[1] Second Amendment[2] supporter, one who believes in the necessity of gun reform,[3] or a bit of both,[4] one important, and increasingly common[5] tool for gun owners is a gun trust. Gun owners establish gun trusts as a means to avoid requirements placed on individuals transferrring certain weapons. Continue reading “Educating the Masses About Gun Trusts” →