Winter term, Block A
M,T,W,Th,F 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Professor John G. Palfrey
2 classroom credits LAW-14500A
This 1L class generally meets from 9am to 11am -- with some days until 12pm.
Lawyers spend most of their time trying to solve their clients' problems.
What sorts of problems do lawyers solve? How do they solve them? What
intellectual constructs do they bring to bear? What practical
judgments? This workshop-style course will help answer these questions
by giving you a chance to practice confronting client problems the way
lawyers do, from the very beginning, before the facts are all known,
before the client's goals are clarified, before the full range of
options is explored, and before a course of conduct is chosen. You will
undertake these tasks by working in teams on a number of different
problems in different lawyering settings. You will also be writing
short memos of the kind written by practicing lawyers, identifying
facts that need to be gathered, questions the client needs to answer,
options that should be considered. You will also write memos
interpreting laws that impinge on the problem and recommending a course
of action. You may also be asked to engage in simulated interviews of
clients.
The course is intended to help prepare you for the actual practice of
law by allowing you actively to engage in the sorts of discussions and
activities that occupy real lawyers every day, combining their
knowledge of law with practical judgment to help clients attain their
goals within the bounds of the law. It is also intended to help you
become the kind of thoughtful practicing lawyer who can see the
theoretical issues lurking behind everyday events.