Unleashing the Power of Words: Iowa’s Commitment to Legal Writing Excellence
The ability to communicate effectively is crucial in the legal profession, where words can wield significant influence. Dawn Barker Anderson, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, succinctly captures this: “Words are a lawyer’s superpower. Good writing requires good thinking. So, if you can express your words and your ideas clearly, it means you’re thinking clearly. Legal employers are always looking for students who can communicate well, be that in writing or orally.”
At the University of Iowa College of Law, students benefit from the expertise of seven dedicated legal-writing faculty, collectively holding over a century of teaching experience. Despite some top-ranked law schools lacking such specialized faculty, Iowa law graduates are praised by judges for their strong writing skills, often outperforming peers from other prestigious institutions. This focus on writing is further supported by the Writing and Academic Success Center, the first of its kind integrated within a law school.
Directed by Anderson, the center extends the first-year Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research curriculum, offering students personalized feedback on their work. Peer tutors assist students across all years with assignments, journal articles, and writing samples, focusing on organization, clarity, style, citation, and grammar.
Students also refine their writing through practical experiences such as internships, advocacy competitions, and contributions to student-run journals. Notably, Iowa Law has consistently advanced to the National Final Rounds of the New York City Bar Association’s National Moot Court Competition for four consecutive years, achieving numerous accolades, including the nation’s top-scoring Respondent’s brief in 2024. The college’s Journal of Corporate Law ranks second among corporate law journals, and the Iowa Law Review is highly recognized for its citation impact.
“There are so many opportunities for students to hone their writing skills while pursuing their unique passions and interests,” Anderson states. This robust writing program significantly influences students’ decision to choose Iowa for their legal education.
Expanding Career Horizons Through Writing
For those aspiring to center their careers around writing, the University of Iowa offers an enriched path through its celebrated creative writing tradition. The English and creative writing major offers a comprehensive blend of literary study and workshop-style writing practice. This program, established just eight years ago, has rapidly gained popularity, with 574 students enrolled in spring 2024.
Associate Professor Kaveh Akbar emphasizes the importance of language in today’s world: “Michelangelo looked out of his window and saw marble quarries, and so he sculpted the David. When our students put their ear to the soil, what they hear and what they see when they look out their windows, is a raw overwhelm of language.” This major equips students to pursue diverse career paths in creative writing, publishing, and beyond.
While not all graduates aim to become bestselling authors, many apply their skills across various fields, from business to social work. Akbar highlights the adaptability of these skills, including the burgeoning field of AI. “AI is very good at producing the exact average output, but history-making literature has never been about average,” he notes. The program encourages learning skills like prompt engineering to creatively engage with AI technology.
The demand for creative content extends into the television and film industry, prompting the university to launch an undergraduate screenwriting degree program in 2019, which has since attracted 195 students. Iowa City’s rich literary environment further enhances these programs, offering students unique opportunities to engage with notable literary figures.
The skills acquired through Iowa’s writing programs provide lifelong benefits. “Literature breeds empathy,” notes Akbar, underscoring how writing skills enrich both personal and professional lives, regardless of the career path chosen.
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