Thomas Jefferson’s Writing Center was created to produce better legal writers.
The Writing Center assists law students seeking help with seminar papers, clinical work, externship assignments, law review or journal notes and comments, cover letters, and writing samples. Students are welcome to visit the Writing Center at any stage of their writing - from brainstorming to polishing. The Writing Center complies with Thomas Jefferson’s Student Code of Conduct, which provides that
“[e]xcept upon prior approval from the professor . . . students will not provide or receive assistance from others while preparing written materials or completing class assignments to be submitted for academic credit.” Accordingly, feedback from the Writing Center will conform to any restrictions given by individual professors.
The Writing Center also presents periodic legal writing workshops and exercises for students to improve their writing skills.
The Writing Center also offers, if permitted by the professor, one-on-one sessions with a writing specialist, which may cover:
- prewriting, including brainstorming and outlining or organizing the material;
- guidance regarding conducting necessary research;
- review of and feedback regarding the legal analysis provided in the written work;
- grammar, punctuation, usage, organization and structure, and style;
- quotation and citation rules and their application; and/or
- finalizing and polishing the writing assignment or project.