Legal Communication and Research Skills (LComm)

The Legal Communication & Research Skills program, affectionately known as “LComm,” is two-semester graded course and a cornerstone of the first-year curriculum. The program offers comprehensive training in legal analysis, research, and writing. Through the use of simulated client cases, the program ensures students develop the practical skills needed to excel in real-world legal practice. 

Faculty

The faculty of the Legal Communication & Research Skills program are accomplished former attorneys who bring a wealth of diverse experiences to the classroom. Their extensive backgrounds in prestigious law firms, judicial clerkships, and public service enrich the educational journey for our students.

An Introduction to LComm 

In this 30-minute recorded webinar, Legal Writing Professors Jill Barton and Christina Frohock guide students through what to expect in the legal writing classroom as a new law student. They provide an insider’s look at the first-semester pace, offer tips for excelling in assignments, and share strategies for success from day one. 

 

Overview of Schedule

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  • Fall Semester/ LComm I: Reasoning and Analysis

    In the fall, new law students are introduced to foundational lawyering skills. They learn to read judicial opinions, analyze the law, and then apply the law to a set of facts. Students write objective legal memoranda of the type that a junior associate or judicial clerk might be asked to write. They also learn how to communicate with clients.

  • Spring Semester/LComm II: Advocacy

    In the spring, the focus shifts to persuasive writing and advocacy, and students work on a litigation matter from filing to appeal. Students begin by writing a pre-trial motion—for example, a motion to dismiss, a motion for summary judgment, or a procedural motion. Students also present an oral argument on this motion. They then write a complete appellate brief and present a second oral argument, this time in front of a panel of practicing lawyers and judges. Throughout the semester, students continue to improve their legal research skills, not only conducting the research for their major writing assignments but also completing a series of regular short exercises.

Focus on Professional Skills

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  • Practice Readiness

    Woven throughout both semesters is a strong emphasis on professionalism and practice readiness. Through realistic case simulations, students receive intensive training on what their future employers will expect. During the course of the year, students may be asked to act as a judicial clerk, a prosecuting attorney, counsel to a corporation, or another type of attorney. In addition to teaching legal analysis, writing, and research, the program also teaches the essential soft skills of successful attorneys, such as interpersonal relationships, collaboration, and professionalism.

    During the course, students learn to write an array of legal documents, including memoranda, emails, and correspondence and complete the following:

    • Objective legal memoranda
    • Correspondence with clients
    • Correspondence with opposing counsel
    • Pre-trial motions
    • Appellate briefs
    • Simulated conferences with a supervising attorney
    • Oral arguments on a pre-trial motion
    • Oral arguments on an appellate brief
    • Federal and state legal research

  • Legal Research Skills

    The best way to learn legal research is to do legal research. To this end, professors use experiential learning techniques and assign short research exercises throughout the year in addition to the major research projects students complete in both the fall and spring semesters. Students learn to research using both print and online sources, with an emphasis on efficiency, accuracy, and cost. Time-sensitive assignments expose students to the fast pace of legal practice.

Hear From Students

LComm Professors Jill Barton and Christina Frohock moderate students discussing their LComm experiences.

Hear 1L students describe the steps taken to analyze a legal problem and write about it.

Contact

Jill Barton
Director of the Legal Communication and Research Skills Program
E-mail: jbarton@law.miami.edu

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