UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LAW
BACHELOR OF LAWS (LLB)
YEAR OF STUDY: I
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2025, TRINITY SEMESTER

COURSE TITLE: LEGAL WRITING

Dr. Susan Nakanwagi

Ms. Rita Kenkwanzi
Ms. Judy Kyalimpa
Mr.Joel Basoga jbasoga@ucu.ac.ug and
Lecturers: basogajoel@gmail.com

Tutors:
Mr. Joel Ndyamuhaki (Stream A)
Ms. Patience Katusabe (Stream B)

Course Description:

“Writing is the heart of modern legal practice,” Noah Messing.

This course is intended to teach students how to write from a legal perspective while thinking
about legal problems. This course is also intended to give students some insights into how to
go about adopting written approaches to solving these problems in a range of practical settings.
Legal Writing also introduces students to critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills
important to legal practice. The topics the students will be expected to cover include:
Introduction/Foundation for Legal Writing; Drafting of Legal Memoranda; Legal Writing
(Predictive, Effective and Corrective); Legal Research; Oral Advocacy; and Reading and
Analyzing the Law.

Course Objectives
This course is intended:

a) To enable students, develop legal writing skills.

b) To enable students, understand critical and legal reasoning.
c) To equip students with effective communication skills, logical and conscience legal
analysis.
d) To provide students with an understanding of the basic construction of legal arguments
in an academic and professional setting.
e) To equip students with an understanding of the different writing skills which would be
required to excel on the LL.B. and for any writing assignments that a law graduate may
undertake after law school.

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 f) To equip students with an understanding of writing legal briefs, memoranda, letters and
other related legal documents.
g) To provide students with an understanding of the major legal citation rules relevant to
writing at university.
h) To enable students, analyse legal authorities and using theories of rhetoric and
persuasion to engage their readers.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course students should be able:
To appreciate the rationale for the existence, operation and limitations of legal writing and
effective approaches to problem solving that should be followed in the day-to-day operations
of the legal profession in Uganda.

Mode of Delivery
• Lectures: 4 Hours a Week

• Tutorials: 2 Hours a Week

Mode of Assessment

The award of grades for this course will be based on;

• Course work which will consist of at least two parts. The first part will be a written essay
assignment or test and the second part will consist of group assignments which will make
a total of 30% of the final mark.
• The final exam at the end of the semester will contribute 70% of the final mark.
• Plagiarism and any form of cheating will be heavily punished.

Required Reading
a) Andrew Goatly, Critical Reading and Writing (Routledge Publishers, 2000)
b) Veda R. Charrow, Myra K. Erhardt, and Robert P. Charrow, Clear and Effective Legal
Writing (Links to an external site.) (Wolters Kluwer, 5th ed., 2013). (Key text)
c) Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference (Links to an external site.) (Bedford/St. Martin’s,
7th ed., 2011).
d) Emily Flinch and Stefan Fafinski, Legal Skills (Oxford University Press, 8th ed, 2021)
e) H. Carr et al, Skills for Law Students (Oxford University Press, 2009)6. M. Davies, Asking
the Law Question (Lawbook Co., 2008)
f) S. Hanson, Legal Method, Skills and Reasoning 3rd Ed. (Routledge-Cavendish, 2010)
g) JM. Smits, Mind and Method of the Legal Academic (Edward-Elgar Publishing, 2012)
h) W. Twining and D. Miers, How to Do Things with Rules (Butterworths, 1999)
i) D. Watkins and M. Burton, Research Methods in Law (Routledge, 2013)
j) Terri LeClercq, Guide To Legal Writing Style, 3rd Edition (Aspen Publishers, 2004)

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 k) Teresa Kissane Brostoff & Ann Sinsheimer, Legal English: An Introduction to The Legal
Language and Culture of The United States (Oceana Publications Inc., 2000)
l) Linda H. Edwards, Legal Writing and Analsis (Aspen Publishers, 2013)
m) Margaret Z. Johns, Professional Writing for Lawyers: Skills and Responsibilities (Carolina
Academic Press, 1998)
n) Laurel Currie Oates, Anne Enquest and Kelly Kunsch, 3rd Edition (Aspen Publishers, 2002)
Recommended texts:
a) Steven H. Gifis, Barron’s Dictionary of Legal Terms (Links to an external site.) (Barron’s,
4th ed., 2008).

Course Content
A. INTRODUCTION/FOUNDATION FOR LEGAL WRITING (WEEK 1 & 2)
i. Defining the Law
ii. What is a Case?
iii. The Role of Lawyer in Society
iv. Legal and Professional Ethics
v. Uganda’s Legal System and Common Law
vi. The Arms of Government
vii. Court Hierarchy in Uganda
B. READING AND ANALYSISNG THE LAW (WEEK 3)
i. Briefing and Synthesizing Cases
ii. Reading and Citation of Cases
iii. Interpreting Statutes i.e., reading and canons of construction
iv. Forms of Legal reasoning i.e., rule-based, analogical, policy-based, principle-based,
custom-based and narrative
C. DRAFTING/WRITING OF A LEGAL MEMORANDUM (WEEK 4)
i. Objective, Purpose, Audience and Format
ii. Pre-Writing, Drafting, Revising and editing
iii. Drafting the Heading
iv. Drafting Question/Issue Presented
v. Drafting a Brief Answer
vi. Drafting a Fact Statement

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 vii. Drafting a Discussion
viii. Drafting the Conclusion
D. BASIC WRITING (WEEKS 5 & 6)
i. Effective Writing i.e., writing a paper, connections between paragraphs and effective
paragraphs
ii. Connections between sentences, effective sentences, effective words and eloquence iii.
Grammar, Punctuation, citations, quotations and writing style iv. Use of verbs, avoiding
wordiness/legalese/redundancies/intensifiers and gender sensitive writing
v. Avoiding long sentences, unnecessary variations and keeping the verb and subject
together
vi. Mechanics i.e., spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, symbols and conventional formal
writing

E. LEGAL & PROFESSONAL WRITING (WEEKS 7 & 8)

i. Writing a Legal Brief - i.e., general characteristics, general considerations, ethical
issues, questions of law, statutory interpretation, case synthesis, jurisdiction, relevant
issues, arguments, rebuttals, persuasion and reference to factual sources.
ii. Writing a Legal Opinion - i.e., general characteristics, general considerations, ethical
issues, questions of law, introductory paragraphs, issues, opinion, summary of facts,
explanation, advice, concluding paragraphs, caution/warnings, writing style, tone and
being open to criticism
iii. Writing a Trial Brief - i.e., Defendants brief vs State brief, general characteristics,
general considerations, ethical issues, questions of law, audience, purpose, developing
a theory of the case, the caption, statement of facts, organizational scheme, present
the facts, drafting the issues, arguments, prayer for relief and signing the brief
iv. Writing Professional Letters - i.e., general characteristics, general considerations,
retainer/advice/status letters, letters to other lawyers, responses
v. Writing a Client Letter - i.e., professional responsibilities, purpose, audience, present
options, explain the law, confidentiality, review the facts, ask for copies of relevant
documents, form and content, tone and style
vi. Writing a Complaint - i.e., professional responsibilities, purpose, audience, statement
of claim, jurisdiction, demand for judgment, form and content, tone and style
vii. Writing a Demand Letter - i.e., professional responsibilities, purpose, statement of the
claim, audience, form and content, tone proper outline/template and style

F. LEGAL RESEARCH (WEEKS 9 & 10)

i. What do lawyers research about?

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 ii. Legal research as part of the problem-solving process iii. Primary and
Secondary Sources of reading materials iv. Citation and referencing
v. Computer assisted Legal research
vi. Identifying a research problem vii.
Identifying the objective/s viii. The
scope

G. ORAL ADVOCACY (WEEK 11)

i. Audience and purpose ii. Presentation – body/hands/eyes, voice, references or use of
proper titles while referring to the bench/clients/opposing counsel
iii. Preparing for oral arguments – i.e., deciding what to argue, preparing an outline,
reviewing facts and the law
iv. Courtroom procedures and etiquette – i.e., seating, dressing and decorum
v. Making and delivering arguments – introductions, opening remarks, statement of issues,
summary of facts, avoid unnecessary reading, maintain eye contact, do not pocket,
make sure you can be heard, limit gestures and avoid distracting mannerisms
vi. How to handle problems and unforeseen challenges – i.e., inadequate time, when to
concede, when you dint understand questions being asked, when you error with the
law/facts and when you make a mistake
vii. Expected to be questioned/required to provide clarity viii. Final note or closing
remarks/arguments ix. Be open to criticism

H. Faith in Teaching
Faith based teaching of Legal Writing will enable us to adopt an approach of handling writing,
research, critical thinking and advocacy issues using faith; a context in which God’s principles
and values are mainstreamed in our day-to-day lectures to solve legal and professional issues.
Christianity through the bible, talks about the proper use of our professions and calling. Right
from the introductory part of this course, we shall conduct the course in a way which
incorporates Christian faith teaching. Revelation 21:1-22:5, Isaiah 65, Exodus 31:1-5, Exodus
20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and Psalm 119:72.

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