Focused and Fun: A How-to Guide for Creating Hypotheticals for Law Students
19 Scribes J. Legal Writing 161 (2020)
22 Pages Posted: 3 Sep 2019 Last revised: 13 Oct 2020
Date Written: October 9, 2020
Abstract
This article contains an easy-to-follow guide for creating law school hypotheticals for use in legal writing, along with examples of hypotheticals. It addresses the method of creating hypotheticals from the perspective of the author, who has practiced law for twenty-five years, taught for twenty-five years, and created hypotheticals for ten years. Part I includes a ten-step checklist for legal writing hypotheticals in general. Part II addresses special considerations applicable to 1L students and discusses hypotheticals (with examples) for the first and second semesters. Part III addresses the advantages and disadvantages of using sample or model answers. Finally, while no problem is perfect, it definitely improves over time and with experience.
Keywords: legal writing, checklist, 1L students, problems hypotheticals, legal education
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