Reflective Essay Based On Creative Analysis

Reflecting on Legal Writing

As an English major, I am used to writing essays based on creative analysis where I can manipulate the essay topic around what I’m trying to convey. However, with legal writing, I found that the assignments required a straightforward analysis constructed around only the facts provided in the cases in order to effectively address what the legal audience needs. Truthfully, I found this class to be a bit like driving a car. It was difficult at first, but with practice I found myself getting more comfortable with legal writing. I forgot the rules a few times and made some errors, but I have successfully learned a new skill even though there is still much room for improvement.

I had very little knowledge of what legal

Beginning with the client letter, I found that sympathy often clouded my ability to make a judgment based unbiasedly on the facts. Dr. Nolan Pryor had clearly suffered emotional trauma upon discovering that her husband had been involved in an accident while she was nearby. The case briefs researched in preparation for the client letter supported the argument that Dr. Nolan Pryor would not have a case because she was not contemporaneously aware that her husband had been injured as she heard the sound of the accident. Understanding Dr. Nolan Pryor’s misfortune after seeing her husband trapped in his car following an accident and wanting to sue the person responsible for the accident was not a relevant argument for her case. After comparing the facts in her situation to similar cases, I was able to prevent compassion from clouding my opinion of what argument the facts supported. Dr. Nolan Pryor’s inquiry to whether or not she had a case also introduced me to CRAC, something I found very different from the typical structure I was used to. I found the idea that I was to begin with and end with a conclusion quite confusing, however similar to everything else in legal writing, I realized that the most important part of these assignments is to ensure that whoever is reading understands what the argument is. CRAC was confusing at first but it was really helpful towards organization, structure, and conveying my argument with the supported facts. As the assignments became more complex, I was grateful for my law firm because it gave me an outlet to express my confusion about certain aspects with people who were working on the same thing I was. Working together to research cases that would support Dr. Field’s potential case to sue for noise and pollution helped make the process a lot easier and comprehendible. Working with the law library was extremely intimidating and honestly