Your application

Please complete the following fields to be considered for this project.

Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
How much commitment will you have to this project?
Please select an option.
Are you available to dedicate 1-2 hours per week to the Build Project?
Please select an option.
Your application has been 
successfully submitted!
Explore more projects
Close
You already submitted an application for this project.
Explore more projects
Close
There was an error submitting your form. Please try again later or contact us.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

This project is no longer accepting applications. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of new projects!

Get updates

Law School Writing and Advocacy

Gain the essential advocacy, analytical and legal writing skills needed for law school success through this preparatory program designed to guide you from admissions to your first year of law school.

Register today
Apply now
Tuesdays
 at
9:00
P.M.
 ET /
6:00
P.M.
PT
8 weeks, 2-3 hours per week
Beginner
No experience required
No experience required
Some experience required
Degree and experience required

Description

This is a pre-law project designed for college freshmen and sophomores to develop a practical understanding of lawyering and build analytical and advocacy skills. The first weeks of the project will focus on demystifying the law school admissions process. You will then develop an appellate brief that can be used as a writing sample for your future career endeavors. You will also present oral arguments in a simulated courtroom environment. This project emphasizes research, writing, and oral advocacy, providing you with the opportunity to analyze complex legal cases, formulate well-reasoned arguments, and participate in structured debates. More importantly, this project will serve as a preview of what you can expect during your year of law school. You will refine your analytical thinking, writing, and public speaking abilities. By the end of this project, you will have gained critical skills in research, writing, and argumentation, directly applicable to entry-level roles in law, public policy, and various sectors that value clear communication and analytical precision.

Session timeline

  • Applications open
    December 1, 2024
  • Application deadline
    January 15, 2025
  • Project start date
    Week of July 8, 2024
    Week of
    February 3, 2025
  • Project end date
    Week of

What you will learn

  • Conduct legal research, read cases, and properly apply legal frameworks and precedents.
  • Write clearly and persuasively, as is expected from an attorney.
  • Advocate on behalf of clients, both in writing and orally in the courtroom.
Build Projects are 8-week experiences that operate on a rolling basis. Selected participants engage in weekly live workshops with a Build Fellow and 2-15 other students.

Project workshops

1
Introductions
2
Law Schools and the Admissions Process
3
Personal Statements; Overview of the Moot Court Problem
4
Overview of the Moot Court Problem
5
Reading Legal Decisions
6
Developing Legal Arguments
7
Briefcraft & Introduction to Oral Arguments
8
Oral Arguments

Prerequisites

  • An interest in a legal career: This project is designed for students with a basic understanding of the rule of law and the roles that lawyers, jugdes and policy makers occupy.
  • Logical reasoning: As a lawyer, you will need to draw on the skills of analyzing, evaluating, constructing, and refuting arguments based on logic, regardless of how you may subjectively feel about an issue.
  • Reading comprehension: the practice of law revolve around extensive reading of highly varied, dense, argumentative, and expository texts (for example, cases, statutes, deposition transcripts).  
  • Intellectual curiosity: Students will be asked to explore various areas of legal practice, conduct research on cutting edge legal issues, and craft arguments from various, sometimes opposing perspectives.
  • Public speaking: at the end of the project, students will be expected to present oral arguments in front of the entire class in the context of a mock trial, where students will argue their case in front of a judge.  
  • Attention to detail is essential to a lawyer’s credibility.

Sign up today

Get access to all of our Build projects, including this one, by creating your Build account!

Register today
Log in

Apply to

Mélodie

's project today!

Get started by submitting your application.

Apply now

Stay updated!

Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when projects reopen!

Please fill in this required field.
By clicking “Subscribe” you agree to our Terms of Services and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll notify you when projects reopen. In the meantime, you can explore our resources and learn more about our Fellows.

Discover our articles
There was an error submitting your form. Please try again later or contact us.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
About the expert

Mélodie is a Law Build Fellow at Open Avenues, where she works with students leading pre-law projects. Mélodie is an Associate at Wigdor LLP, where she represents plaintiffs in discrimination and harassment cases against their employers. Mélodie has interned with the international trade law department of the United Nations, worked as a 'BigLaw' summer associate, and clerked for judges in Los Angeles Superior Court. She holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA. A fun fact about Mélodie is that she is fluent in three languages. Despite living in NYC, she loves to surf and regularly paddles out in the Rockaways.

Visit
Mélodie
's Linkedin