Fall 2018 Course Schedule

Legal Drafting: Legislation (LAW-849E-001)
Bettina Poirier

Meets: 08:00 PM - 09:50 PM (M) - Warren - Room N104

Enrolled: 19 / Limit: 22

Administrator Access


Notices

There are no notices at this time.

Description

This two credit course closely examines the legislative drafting process, including the tools needed for crafting effective legislation. Drafting guidelines and techniques are studied and applied in practical exercises and in the final legislative project/simulation; congressional rules and procedures and their impact on legislative drafting are analyzed; and trends in statutory interpretation are considered in order to provide insight into how drafting decisions affect judicial review and the ultimate success of legislation.

This class places great value on each student’s written and oral communications, engagement, and sophistication of analysis. The quality of the discussion depends greatly on you, and I expect every student to have read the required readings before class and to come prepared to discuss the topics in a collegial and informed way. An original bill or a significant amendment along with a substantial research paper (10 pages) on that legislation are part of the final project/simulation for the course. Oral advocacy skills will be an important part of the student’s presentation of the final project to the class. Charts should be used as part of the presentation, as they would be in a legislative hearing. Students should be prepared to discuss questions and issues relating to course material that may be circulated prior to class.

Textbooks and Other Materials

The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.

Congressional Procedures & the Policy Process, Tenth Edition, by Walter Oleszek, Mark Oleszek, Elizabeth Rybicki, and Bill Heniff, Jr.

Legislative Drafting-Step-By-Step, by Arthur Rynearson

Copies of Chapters 1 and 2 of Legislation and Regulation-Cases and Materials, Third Edition, by John Manning and Matthew Stephenson will be posted on the website.

Selected reading from those chapters will be noted on the website.

First Class Readings

Review course description and goals.

Read Chapter 1 in Oleszek.

Syllabus

Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):