Second-Year Writing Requirement

A student, in order to receive a degree, must, at some time during his or her second year, complete a research and writing project under the direct supervision of a member of the Faculty or Dean. Satisfactory completion of the requirement will be demonstrated by certification from the instructor who supervises the project. To satisfy the requirement a writing project must require thorough legal research, a substantial piece of legal writing, and rewriting in response to criticism from the supervising instructor. The requirement may be satisfied by an Independent Research Project or a law journal note if the above standards are met. The requirement may also be met by satisfactory completion of a paper meeting the above standards and submitted as part of the regular work in designated courses or seminars.

The following 2024-2025 courses may satisfy the requirement:

  • LAW 606 Advanced Legal Writing
  • LAW 618 Insider Trading Seminar
  • LAW 621 Child Abuse & Neglect Seminar
  • LAW 625 Time & Timekeepers Seminar
  • LAW 628 Constitutional Rights Seminar
  • LAW 630 Feminist and Queer Jurisprudence Seminar
  • LAW 634 Children and the Constitution Seminar
  • LAW 637 Comparative Law Seminar
  • LAW 650 Consumer Protection Seminar
  • LAW 655 Law and Religion Seminar
  • LAW 656 Critical Race Theory Seminar
  • LAW 664 Cyber Law Seminar: Civil  and Criminal Practice
  • LAW 671 Disability Law Seminar
  • LAW 680 Introduction to European Union Law Seminar
  • LAW 683 Mass Atrocities Seminar
  • LAW 691 Poverty Seminar
  • LAW 721 Global Environmental Governance
  • LAW 911 Law Review:2L
  • LAW 970 Journal of Civil Rights & Social Justice:2L

The following 2025-2026 courses may satisfy the requirement

  • LAW 630 Feminist and Queer Jurisprudence Seminar
  • LAW 631 Jurisprudence Seminar
  • LAW 637 Comparative Law Seminar
  • LAW 642 Law and Geography Seminar
  • LAW 911 Law Review:2L
  • LAW 970 Journal of Civil Rights & Social Justice:2L

At the end of the semester in which you complete your writing requirement you will be asked to obtain faculty sign-off on one of the writing forms below in order for credit to be applied to your transcript. Return the completed form to the Law Registrar office or to lawrecords@wlu.edu.

Second-year Writing Requirement Sign Off Forms:

Seminar Courses (follow link to access form. Open in Adobe for a fillable version).

Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice - Contact JCRSJ Editor in Chief for most current form.

Law Review - Contact Law Review Editor in Chief for most current form.

 Updated 3/25/2025