Legislative Drafting
Legislation, whether it is public legislation such as constitutional provisions, statutes, administrative rules, or regulatory orders or private legislation such as wills, contracts, leases, or trusts, has come to have a greater impact on everyday life than the common law. This has resulted in a greater need for attorneys who have developed the unique set of skills required for legislative drafting. This course provides students with an introduction to legislative drafting, particularly in the realm of public legislation. The course will explore the history of legislative drafting; the process of legislative drafting; legislative procedure; and the language, structure, and grammar of legislation. By the end of the course, students should have acquired the basic skills needed to draft legislation, whether as a general practitioner, public interest group attorney, lobbyist, legislator, or legislative staff member.