College Essays-ENGLISH METHODOLOGIES FOR LAWYERS

College Essays-ENGLISH METHODOLOGIES FOR LAWYERS

ENGLISH METHODOLOGIES FOR LAWYERS

This exam is designed to be a take-home midterm. It will include some short-answer questions as well as some longer, essay-type answers. Please pay attention to grammar and sentence structure as well as substantive answers. Exams not formatted according to the rules indicated in the syllabus will be marked down.

Will Smith was a senior at Belle Aire Academy. He planned a public demonstration in front of the school during school hours to protest the lack of diversity at the prep school in Beverly Hills. He and DJ Jazzy Jeff rallied 200 other students. The students shouted “Black Power,” carried signs that read “Black History with Black Teachers,” and clenched their fists and raised their arms to symbolize “power to the people.” Police arrived and arrested the protestors for violating the City of Belle Air’s antipicketing and antinoise ordinances. Is Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s rally protected speech?

1. Issue: Whether Will Smith’s speech was protected under the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution. Please complete the remainder of the I R A C formula.

1. What is one argument you would make if you were Will’s lawyer advocating his right to free speech?
2. What is one argument you would make if you were the government’s lawyer?
3. If you were Will’s lawyer and this case was going to a jury trial, write three questions you would ask potential jurors. Why would you ask those questions?
4. If you were the government’s lawyer in this jury trial, write three other questions you would ask potential jurors and explain why you would ask those questions.