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 six 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.

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. 

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.