The PDLG Fellows Program Writing Seminar is designed to make the written material of the PDLG Fellows (and other diverse 1Ls who will be working at PDLG organizations in the coming summer) most useful to lawyers in their law firms and law departments. When the Fellow is given the first assignment, her or she will know what final product is expected.
It is an all day seminar, held on a Saturday to avoid conflicting with law school classes. The morning session has always been taught by Jessica Pollock Simon, Associate Director of Lega Writing at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Professor Simon explains the different expectations for writing in law school and at law jobs and how to transition from one to the other. Her focus is on making legal writing as clear, direct, simple and easy to follow as possible.
The afternoon session is taught by alumni of the PDLG Fellows Program who have been successful practicing lawyers for several years. They focus on the associate point of view in everything from understanding the assignment when the associate first receives it to delivering the final written product. Their presentation includes an overall approach as well as questions to ask and tips on dealing with issues that come up in research and writing.
For PDLG Fellows, the Writing Seminar is actually the first part of a two-part Writing Program that continues with one-on-one writing mentoring before summer jobs start.