Legal Writing Program Spring 2023 Update
As we are nearing the end of the 2022–23 academic year, we want to acknowledge and highlight the work of our colleagues, our students, and share some good news about Ƶ’s Legal Analysis, Research and Writing Program.
Ƶ’s Legal Writing Faculty Continues to Publish a Regular Column in Washington State Bar News
The legal writing faculty at Ƶ contribute articles to a regular column in the Washington State Bar Association’s magazine, Washington State Bar News (formerly NWLawyer). Created by Prof. Benjamin Halasz, that column—“Write to Counsel”—covers issues relevant to practicing attorneys, students, judges or anyone interested in effective legal writing.
The legal writing faculty has published the following articles this past year.
- Benjamin Halasz, (Sept. 2022)
- Lauren Sancken, (December 2022)
- Amanda Stephen, (February 2023).
- Jaclyn Celebrezze, (April/May 2023).
The following Write to Counsel articles are forthcoming in 2023:
- David Ziff, When Precedent Lacks Power, Make the Judge Want to Decide in Your Favor (an update on precedent in Washington courts after Matter of Arnold)
- Mireille Butler, From Traditional Legal Writing to Business Drafting: How Mastering Brief Writing Techniques is Essential for Successfully Drafting Transactional Documents
Presentations and Publications
This past year, members of UW’s Law Legal Writing Faculty have published scholarly articles, provided writing advice to practitioners, and led presentations at multiple conferences:
Benjamin Halasz
Presentations:
- How to Write Persuasive Facts and Introductions, CLE Presentation at Snohomish Defenders (Sept 2022)— (co-presented with Lauren Sancken)
Lauren Sancken
Presentations and Interviews:
- How to Write Persuasive Facts and Introductions, CLE Presentation at Snohomish Defenders (Sept 2022)— (co-presented with Ben Halasz)
- Integrating Statutory Construction and Analysis in Your First Year Writing Program, Western Regional Legal Writing Conference at the University of Oregon School of Law (Oct. 2022) (with Mireille Butler)
- , The EcoNews Report Podcast (Nov. 22, 2022).
- , Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in Eugene, Oregon (March 2023) (with Prof. Jennifer Marlow, Kelly Matheson, Anders Carlson, and Nathan Baring).
Publications
- Lauren E. Sancken, Andrea Rodgers, Jennifer Marlow, , 40 Va. Env't L.J., 102–151 (2022).
- Lauren Sancken and Mireille Butler, The Benefits of Integrating Statutory Construction and Analysis in a First Year Legal Writing Course, Volume 3, Issue 1 Proceedings (Fall 2022)
David Ziff
Publications:
- David J.S. Ziff, , 101 N.C. L. Rev. F. 72 (2023).
Mireille Butler
Presentations:
- Integrating Statutory Construction and Analysis in Your First Year Writing Program, Western Regional Legal Writing Conference at the University of Oregon School of Law (Oct. 2022) (with Lauren Sancken)
- Creating Shared Understanding: Preparing Students for a Modern Client Base, LWI One-Day Conference (Dec. 2022) (with Jaclyn Celebrezze).
Publications:
- Lauren Sancken and Mireille Butler, The Benefits of Integrating Statutory Construction and Analysis in a First Year Legal Writing Course, Volume 3, Issue 1 Proceedings (Fall 2022)
Jaclyn Celebrezze
Presentations:
- Creating Shared Understanding: Preparing Students for a Modern Client Base, LWI One-Day Conference (Dec. 2022) (with Mireille Butler).
- An Integrated Approach to Citation Literacy, 21st Annual Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference (Feb. 2023).
Amanda Stephen
Presentations:
- Using a Mindfulness and Gratitude Practice to Improve Student Wellness, Western Regional Legal Writing Conference at the University of Oregon School of Law (Oct. 2022)
- Exploring Antiracism in the First Year Legal Writing Classroom, LWI One-Day Workshop at Seattle University School of Law, Teaching Values in the Legal Writing Classroom (Dec. 2022).
Publications:
- Amanda Stephen, Experimentations with Mindfulness and Gratitude Practices in My Legal Writing Classroom, Volume 3, Issue 1 Proceedings (Fall 2022).
Community Services and Activities
This year, Amanda Stephen was appointed to the Legal Writing Institute Public Relations and Social Media committee and the AALS LWRR Outreach Committee. David Ziff served once again as PILA host. He also provided legal consultant services for The Mess's production of The Trial of Count Dracula.
The Legal Writing and Learning Lab
Our Legal Writing Program continues to provide services to our students in the Legal Writing and Learning Lab. The Lab is a place for student resources, peer-based mentoring, and workshops. The Lab is located on the fourth floor of Ƶ and is a vibrant space for student collaboration and writing support. First-year Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing (LARW) students can meet with their Legal Writing Fellows here and attend regular workshops on LARW concepts. The Lab shares space with Ƶ’s Academic Success Program.
Our Legal Writing Fellows led several workshops this year on critical LARW concepts, including legal research and citations, statutory analysis, rule synthesis, and case synthesis.
Transitions and Additions
This past fall, Ƶ welcomed Professors Celebrezze and Stephen.
Jaclyn (“Jackie”) Celebrezze is one of our Visiting Lecturers teaching two sections of LARW this year. Prior to coming to Ƶ, Professor Celebrezze was an instructor and international LL.M. Fellow at Case Western Reserve University where she taught legal writing from 2019 - 2022. Prior to teaching, Professor Celebrezze was a solo practitioner for five years as well as an associate at Rosner Partners where she practiced immigration law. She received her B.A. from Vanderbilt University and her J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law.
Amanda Stephen is one of our Visiting Lecturers teaching two sections of LARW this year. Prior to coming to Ƶ, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Lawyering Skills at Seattle University School of Law where she taught from 2019-2022. She has previously been an Associate Professor at City University of Seattle where she taught classes in the Master of Professional Accounting Program. Prior to teaching, she was the owner of a solo practice, Stephen Legal Research & Writing. She has clerked for the Honorable Lori Smith, the Honorable James Verellen (retired), and the Honorable Ronald Cox (retired) at the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I. She received her B.A., her Master of Professional Accounting, and her J.D. from the University of Washington.