In law school, you will be reading a lot of judicial opinions. Most of the time, you'll be reading them with an eye to their legal holding. In this seminar, you'll be reading them with a different question in mind: What makes one judicial opinion better than another? What is it about certain opinions that leads them to be considered particularly effective or important? When is a judicial opinion "great"? You will read a variety of opinions from different judges and justices, subject areas, perspectives, and time periods, as well as some academic articles about judicial opinions and legal writing. Spoilers: There is no one answer to the title of this seminar. The goal will be to complicate the question and think about the different tools and objectives judges have when they write. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation.
1 units · Law Mandatory P/R/F
In law school, you will be reading a lot of judicial opinions. Most of the time, you'll be reading them with an eye to their legal holding. In this seminar, you'll be reading them with a different question in mind: What makes one judicial opinion better than another? What is it about certain opinions that leads them to be considered particularly effective or important? When is a judicial opinion "great"? You will read a variety of opinions from different judges and justices, subject areas, perspectives, and time periods, as well as some academic articles about judicial opinions and legal writing. Spoilers: There is no one answer to the title of this seminar. The goal will be to complicate the question and think about the different tools and objectives judges have when they write. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation.
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.