Chart of Assignments
Updated as of: April 18, 2020
Where and When:
Thursdays, 1:00 - 2:50 p.m., CLC Seminar Room, and online, per instructions below
General Notes:
To facilitate discussion, always bring readings with you to class in physical, paper form.
"ALW" refers to Eugene Volokh, Academic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, Seminar Papers, and Getting on Law Review (5th Edition) (2016). Bring the physical book with you to class.
For all law review articles assigned as reading in this course, please obtain your own copy, print it out, and bring the printed copy with you to class. I will provide links to free online copies when I can. Otherwise, obtain your own copy from HeinOnline, using your OU login credentials. Always get the article in its original typeset form, with footnotes rather than endnotes. And bring that original version to class. (Thus, please don't use Lexis or Westlaw for obtaining the reading.)
Week by Week:
Week No 1
THURSDAY January 16
Writing Time
To discuss: Picking a topic for your paper.
Read all of ALW Introduction, pp. 5-8.
Read ALW Part I through I.I., pp. 10-38.
Reading Time
Note, Admitting Doubt: A New Standard for Scientific Evidence, 123 Harv. L. Rev. 2021 (2010) [free online PDF].
Week No 2
THURSDAY January 23
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 1: Annotated Abstracts/Introductions
due in class on Thursday, January 23, 2020
This deliverable consists of abstracts or introductions from at least 15 law review articles that have been marked up by you with notes. Bring to class three copies: one for me to keep, one for you to hold on to, and one to pass around for other students to leaf through.
General
Read the syllabus.
Writing Time
To discuss: Zeroing in on a topic and claim for your paper.
Read ALW Part II, pp. 40-46.
Read ALW Part XXII, pp. 278-282.
Reading Time
James Lobo, Vindicating the Vaccine: Injecting Strength into Mandatory School Vaccination Requirements to Safeguard the Public Health, 57 B.C. L. Rev. 261 (2016) [free online PDF].
(Reminder: Use this handout to be prepared for discussion about the reading.)
Week No 3
THURSDAY January 30
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 2: Three Paper Ideas
due in class on Thursday, January 30, 2020
This deliverable consists of one page that delineates three ideas you have for your paper. Each paper idea should be described tersely – one to three sentences. Bring to class enough paper copies for every person in the class (i.e., max 17).
Writing Time
To discuss: Writing the abstract
Read “How to Write a Good Abstract for a Law Review Article” by Kevin Maillard, http://www.thefacultylounge.org/2012/01/how-to-write-a-good-abstract-for-a-law-review-article.html
Reading Time
Kristen Bolden, DNA Fabrication, A Wake Up Call: The Need to Reevaluate the Admissibility and Reliability of DNA Evidence, 27 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 409 (2011) [link to free online PDF].
Week No 4
WEDNESDAY February 5
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 3: Paper Proposal / Abstract
due by noon on Wednesday, February 5, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_03.docx)
This deliverable consists of at least 250 words describing your proposed paper. This deliverable will be turned in as the paper’s abstract using the manuscript template [DOTX].
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also e-mail it to me as a belt-and-suspenders approach to making sure I get it by the deadline.
THURSDAY February 6
Writing Time
To discuss: Overall writing strategy.
Read ALW Part III, pp. 47-59.
Reading Time
Peter Lee, Patents, Paradigm Shifts, and Progress in Biomedical Science, 114 Yale L.J. 659 (2004) [free online PDF].
Week No 5
WEDNESDAY February 12
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 4: Literature Discussion
due by noon on Wednesday, February 12, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_04.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with a total of at least 750 words, which is 500 more than required for the last deliverable. Your manuscript must contain at least 500 new words critically discussing at least two law review articles that are relevant to your topic. (Note that for Deliverable 4 and all future deliverables, "your manuscript" means that you will be using further evolutions of the manuscript template [DOTX].)
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also e-mail it to me as a belt-and-suspenders approach to making sure I get it by the deadline.
THURSDAY February 13
Writing Time
To discuss: Writing the introduction.
Read ALW Part IV, pp. 60-76.
Reading Time
A. Dan Tarlock, Who Owns Science?, 10 Penn St. Envtl. L. Rev. 135 (2002) [please obtain this article using HeinOnline].
Week No 6
WEDNESDAY February 19
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 5: Manuscript 1250
due by noon on Wednesday, February 19, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_05.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with a total of at least 1250 words,
which is 500 more than required for the last deliverable.
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
THURSDAY February 20
Writing Time
Read the General Writing Memo [PDF], and bring a printed copy of it with you to class.
Reading Time
Dan L. Burk, When Scientists Act Like Lawyers: The Problem of Adversary Science, 33 Jurimetrics J. 363 (1993) [please obtain this article using HeinOnline].
Week No 7
WEDNESDAY February 26
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 6: Manuscript 2000, Argument Interrogatories
due by noon on Wednesday, February 26, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_06.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with a total of at least 2000 words,
which is 750 more than required for the last deliverable.
Within your manuscript, you must explicitly answer these interrogatories: (1) What is the problem your paper addresses? (2) Why won’t the problem resolve on its own without a legal solution? (3) What have others suggested to fix the problem, and/or why don’t others perceive the problem as a problem? (4) What is your proposed solution to the problem? (5) Why will your solution work? (6) What are at least two examples of how it would work?
Those interrogatories and your answers to them must constitute at least 750 words.
(In the future, after you turn in this deliverable, you'll want to delete the text of the questions themselves, keep the text of the answers, and work that answer text into your evolving manuscript.)
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
THURSDAY February 27
Writing Time
To discuss: Writing the background and argument.
Read ALW Part V, pp. 77-80.
Read ALW Part VI, pp. 81-91.
Reading Time
Leonard H. Glantz, Research with Children, 24 Am. J.L. & Med. 213 (1998) [please obtain this article using HeinOnline].
Week No 8
WEDNESDAY March 4
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 7: Manuscript 3000
due by noon on Wednesday, March 4, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_07.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with a total of at least 3000 words, which is 1000 more than required for the last deliverable.
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
THURSDAY March 5
Writing Time
To discuss: Research and sources.
Reading Time
Shannon M. Roesler, Evaluating Corporate Speech About Science, 106 Geo. L.J. 447 (2018) [free online PDF].
Week No 9
WEDNESDAY March 11
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 8: Manuscript 4500
due by noon on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_08.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with a total of at least 4500 words, which is 1500 more than required for the last deliverable.
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
THURSDAY March 12
Writing Time
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Reading Time
None
Week No 10
WEDNESDAY March 25
Deliverable Due [***OPTIONAL*** (see explanation)]
Deliverable 9: Manuscript 6000
due by noon on Wednesday, March 25, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_09.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with a total of at least 6000 words, which is 1500 more than required for the last deliverable.
I am making this deliverable OPTIONAL. I will award everyone the full point for this in-progress deliverable regardless of whether it is turned in on time or done in good faith. Nevertheless, I encourage you to do it in good faith and to turn it in on time, as doing so will keep you on track.
If you turn this in, please turn it in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
THURSDAY March 26
PANDEMIC ARRANGEMENTS:
We will conduct class for March 26 using the Zoom platform. Expect an e-mail from me sometime before the end of spring break discussing specifics and providing information about how to log on. Plan to attend in real-time (a/k/a "synchronously"). No recording will be made.
After March 26, I will re-evaluate and I may switch to a different platform if Zoom does not work well.
Writing Time
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Reading Time
None
Week No 11
WEDNESDAY April 1
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 10-A: Manuscript 7000 - Comment Draft, Delivered Electronically
due by noon on Wednesday, April 1, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_10.docx)
This deliverable is your manuscript with at least 7000 words; the manuscript is more or less complete, with all sections written, although it is okay at this stage to have a few not-yet-finished/place-holder footnotes below the line, as well as some bracketed notes indicating where something has yet to be done above the line. This comment draft will be reviewed by me (your professor) and by two student reviewers.
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
It would be nice if you sent it at the same time to your student reviewers (see the entry below for April 2). The original plan was for you to hand over a paper copy to your student reviewers on Thursday, April 2, in class. And because that was the original plan, I'm not moving up the deadline. But since we will be having class remotely and everything has to be done electronically anyway, why not just send it to your student reviewers now?
THURSDAY April 2
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 10-B: Manuscript 7000 - Comment Draft, Delivered to Student Commenters [NOTE: This requirement has been altered somewhat from the original syllabus on account of pandemic arrangements.]
due by 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_10.docx)
Send your manuscript to your two student reviewers by e-mail, cc'ing me (eric.e.johnson@ou.edu). To learn who your two student commenters/reviewers are, look for an e-mail with the subject line Science and Law: Assignment of student commenters/reviewers.
NOTE: Deliverable 10-C, which was turning in a filled-out questionnaire on paper, is revoked as a requirement. Nevertheless, I strongly urge you, as an exercise for yourself, to try filling out the Final Manuscript Questionnaire form to see where you are at with your paper.
Writing Time
We will discuss our writing.
Reading Time
No reading is assigned, but we can discuss the legal and policy aspects of current events, if students would like.
Week No 12
WEDNESDAY April 8
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 11: Peer-Assistance/Feedback Package (Comments on Others’ Comment Drafts) [NOTE: This requirement has been altered somewhat from the original syllabus on account of pandemic arrangements.]
due by noon on Thursday, April 8, 2020
(file names: YOURLASTNAME_feedback_for_REVIEWEDLASTNAME.docx, YOURLASTNAME_feedback_for_REVIEWEDLASTNAME.pdf, YOURLASTNAME_mark-up_for_REVIEWEDLASTNAME.docx)
YOURLASTNAME_mark-up_for_REVIEWEDLASTNAME.pdf)
Provide, for each paper you have been asked to review, at least 400 words of feedback in the form of a memo in 12-point font, single spaced, in Times New Roman. Aim for feedback that is helpful. You might consider the questions/prompts in the how-to-talk-about-the-reading handout we have been working off of. Send your feedback memo both to me (eric.e.johnson@ou.edu) and to the author both as a PDF and DOCX using the "feedback_for" file names above.
Provide, for each paper you have been asked to review, a mark-up of the manuscript. Use tracked-changes and/or inserted comments. Send this along both to me (eric.e.johnson@ou.edu) and to the author both as a PDF and DOCX using the "mark-up_for" file names above.
THURSDAY April 9
Writing Time
We will discuss our writing.
Reading Time
No reading is assigned, but we can discuss the legal and policy aspects of current events, if students would like.
Week No 13
THURSDAY April 16
Writing Time
We will discuss our writing.
Reading Time
No reading is assigned, but we can discuss the legal and policy aspects of current events, if students would like.
Week No 14
DEADLINES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED
The deadlines previously set for this week have been extended. See below and see Syllabus Addendum No. 2.
WEDNESDAY April 22
Nothing due today.
THURSDAY April 23
Nothing due today.
Writing Time
None.
Reading Time
No reading is assigned, but we can discuss the legal and policy aspects of current events, if students would like.
FINAL DUE DATES
TUESDAY April 28
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY
If you turn in your final paper electronically by noon on Tuesday, April 28 (which is the day before it is due), I will award one extra credit point toward your final course grade.
To get this extra credit, you must turn in your paper according the requirements below for the deadline of April 29.
WEDNESDAY April 29
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 12-A: Final Manuscript, Delivered Electronically
due on Wednesday, April 29, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_12.docx)
This deliverable is your final manuscript, turned in as both a PDF and DOCX file. It must meet the minimum requirements set out elsewhere in this syllabus. Those requirements include that the paper has at least 7,125 words for the body – i.e., including the footnotes, but not including the abstract or table of contents, and not including any bibliography or appendix if present. And the body without the footnotes must be at least 5,000 words.
Turn this in on Canvas. You can also optionally e-mail it to me.
NOTE: Deliverable 12-B (Final Manuscript, Delivered on Paper) is revoked as a requirement.
Deliverable Due
Deliverable 12-C: Final Manuscript Questionnaire [NOTE: This requirement has been altered somewhat from the original syllabus on account of pandemic arrangements.]
due on Wednesday, April 29, 2020
(file name: LASTNAME_FMQ.pdf)
You must fill out the Final Manuscript Questionnaire and turn it in according to the instructions in the document. Download the form here: Final Manuscript Questionnaire form.
Turn in the completed form by e-mail to me.