Perks of teaching legal writing
The perks
Did I scare you off trying to be a legal-writing teacher? Sorry. Just trying to be candid and not create any unrealistic expectations. If you're up for it, you'll get some perks.
Academic schedule: spring break, winter break, summer break--although I've been teaching summer school full time for many years. I need the money.
Writing freedom: since I'm not on the tenure track, I write and publish what I want when I want. No one scrutinizes my articles to see if they are scholarly enough (they're not) or long enough (they're not) or original enough (they're not).
I matter: Is there a more important skill in law than writing? Probably not. So I feel that I'm contributing something real, something practical to the world of legal education. That's rewarding.
Energy: I'm surrounded by enthusiastic young people who want to learn. Despite the pessimists, I think law students today are smarter and more capable than ever. They're certainly smarter and more capable than I was. It's fun to be around them.
Colleagues: I work with 5 great lawyers and great writers and great friends. This is the most rewarding part of the job.
Wayne Schiess
Director of Legal Writing | The University of Texas School of Law | Website | Seminars | Articles | Books: Preparing Legal Documents Nonlawyers Can Read and Understand
| Better Legal Writing
| Writing for the Legal Audience
| The Legal Memo: A Basic Guide
Did I scare you off trying to be a legal-writing teacher? Sorry. Just trying to be candid and not create any unrealistic expectations. If you're up for it, you'll get some perks.
Academic schedule: spring break, winter break, summer break--although I've been teaching summer school full time for many years. I need the money.
Writing freedom: since I'm not on the tenure track, I write and publish what I want when I want. No one scrutinizes my articles to see if they are scholarly enough (they're not) or long enough (they're not) or original enough (they're not).
I matter: Is there a more important skill in law than writing? Probably not. So I feel that I'm contributing something real, something practical to the world of legal education. That's rewarding.
Energy: I'm surrounded by enthusiastic young people who want to learn. Despite the pessimists, I think law students today are smarter and more capable than ever. They're certainly smarter and more capable than I was. It's fun to be around them.
Colleagues: I work with 5 great lawyers and great writers and great friends. This is the most rewarding part of the job.
Wayne Schiess
Director of Legal Writing | The University of Texas School of Law | Website | Seminars | Articles | Books: Preparing Legal Documents Nonlawyers Can Read and Understand
| Better Legal Writing
| Writing for the Legal Audience
| The Legal Memo: A Basic Guide
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