Lawyering Skills I is a required first-year course designed to introduce students to the essential problem-solving and communication skills of the legal profession. The legal research and writing faculty work closely with students in smaller classroom settings to introduce techniques of legal analysis, the basic sources and processes of legal research, and the principles of legal writing and oral advocacy. Through a series of assignments of increasing complexity, students learn how to analyze legal problems, research legal issues, frame legal arguments, and gain experience in drafting the major forms of predictive and persuasive legal writing. During the first semester, in Lawyering Skills I, students will be placed in the role of lawyer as advisor and counselor by focusing on predictive, advisory writing while learning other lawyering skills such as fact gathering and analysis, interviewing, and client counseling. Students will write legal memoranda, conduct interviews, draft professional emails and letters, and conduct office meetings, all in the context of completing practice based assignments. Students will receive individualized feedback throughout the semester. (required course; graded; 2 credits)