Legal writing at The Writing Law School

Stand out with unmatched writing skills

Strong writing skills are essential in the legal profession. At Iowa Law, you’ll learn how to craft concise and compelling communication to further your professional success.

Iowa Law has long been at the forefront of legal writing education. Boasting over 120 years of combined legal writing experience, you’ll benefit from this history and our full-time writing faculty.

We have seven full-time writing faculty committed to developing your analytical thinking and persuasive writing skills. Each are experienced attorneys, award-winning teachers, and published authors who speak frequently at local, regional, and national conferences.

# 1

Public university for writing

7

Full-time writing faculty

11

Writing tutors

Legal writing emphasis

Strong writing skills are essential in the legal profession. Iowa Law is known as The Writing Law School—after graduation, you’ll have the expertise and confidence to set you apart in a competitive job market.

Your first year includes small section writing courses with personalized instruction that will refine your legal writing skills. In your second and third years, you’ll gain real-world writing experience, from drafting briefs for clinic clients to writing seminar papers on emerging legal topics. 

Writing curriculum
A student pulling a volume of the Iowa law Review off of a library shelf.

Law Journals

Hone your legal writing skills at one of Iowa Law’s four top-ranked, student-edited journals. 

Two students smiling, talking, and exiting the Iowa Law Library.

Law Library

Enjoy a premier research library with one of the most comprehensive collections of all academic law libraries in the U.S.

The Iowa Law Writing Center

The Iowa Law Writing Center also provides resources to help you develop the confidence and skills you need to stand out in a competitive workforce.

The center is staffed by 2L and 3L tutors who provide individualized tutoring appointments for students seeking writing assistance. The center also offers writing workshops and online resources. 

The Iowa Law Writing Center was established 35 years ago— the first of its kind to be housed in a law school. 

Legal writing competitions

Students are encouraged to submit their work to competitions—more than 150 legal writing competitions are hosted around the country each year.

A wide range of companies, organizations, and law schools sponsor these competitions, which usually focus on a particular topic or practice area. Prizes range from cash, to travel, to publication of the winning papers.

Meet the Legal Writing, Analysis, and Research (LAWR) faculty

Dawn Barker Anderson (2)

Dawn Barker Anderson

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Professor of Instruction
Director, Iowa Law Writing Center
dawn-r-anderson@uiowa.edu
319-384-2811
Professor Anderson teaches Legal Analysis, Writing and Research and is the director of the Writing and Academic Success Center and the college’s academic success program.
Headshot of Professor Andrew Crouse

Andrew Crouse

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Professor of Instruction
andrew-crouse@uiowa.edu
319-335-9034
Professor Crouse joined the faculty in 2020 and teaches legal rhetoric, legal ethics, contract drafting, and negotiation. Professor Crouse graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004 and went on to have an extensive career in practice and in legal academia before joining Iowa Law.
A headshot of Lorraine Gaynor

Lorraine Gaynor

Assistant Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Assistant Professor of Instruction
lorraine-gaynor@uiowa.edu
Professor Gaynor is a professor of legal analysis, writing and research. Prior to Iowa Law she served as a senior staff attorney at Iowa Legal Aid.
Mary Ksobiech Headshot

Mary Ksobiech

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Professor of Instruction
Director, Academic Success
Director, Appellate Advocacy
mary-ksobiech@uiowa.edu
319-335-9034
Professor Mary Ksobiech is Director of Academic Success and a Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research. She is an alumna of the University of Iowa College of Law. In 2006, she joined the faculty of The University of Alabama School of Law where she taught courses in Legal Writing, Litigation Drafting, and Judicial Opinion Drafting and served as the Assistant Dean of Students. She will be teaching in the areas of Legal Writing, Appellate Advocacy, and Academic Support.
Christopher Liebig (4)

Christopher Liebig

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Professor of Instruction
chris-liebig@uiowa.edu
319-335-9177
Professor Liebig currently teaches Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research. He worked several years as a litigator in private practice in Hartford and Boston, before leaving practice to earn an MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.
Lorie Schweer (3)

Lorie Schweer

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Professor of Instruction
lorie-reins-schweer@uiowa.edu
319-384-2812
Lorie Schweer graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an accounting degree in 1984. Professor Schweer first practiced as a certified public accountant and then worked in banking for 13 years. In the banking industry, she focused on regulatory compliance, audit, loan quality, and commercial lending. After graduating from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2003, she practiced law with a focus on tax planning, estate planning, probate, and exempt organization governance.
Sheerin Headshot

Caroline Sheerin

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Professor of Instruction
Director, Bar Success
caroline-sheerin@uiowa.edu
319-335-9131
Caroline Sheerin graduated cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University in 1993, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She then taught English in Japan for two years and after returning from Japan, she received her Masters in East Asian Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. She then went to the University of Michigan Law School, where she received her JD in December 1999.