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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Lawyering I

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Lawyering I

Current as of 8-13-2024

Q. My schedule says I am in section [#], so who is my professor? [Or, my schedule says I
have Professor [Name], but I don’t know what section I’m in.]

A: Your section number appears at the end of your course number. So, for example, if your
schedule says LAW 715-001, you are in section 1. The professors for each section are as follows:

• 1: Professor Bishop (9:00)
• 2: Professor Shur (9:00)
• 3: Professor Godfrey (9:00)
• 4: Professor Gossett (9:00)
• 5: Professor Bishop (11:00)
• 6: Professor Shur (11:00)
• 7: Professor Godfrey (11:00)
• 8: Professor Gossett (11:00)
• 9: Professor Becnel (3:30)
• 51: Professor Dawson (5:30)
• 52: Professor Becnel (5:30)

 

Q: What if I can’t acquire my Lawyering I textbooks before the first day of class?

A: All of the Lawyering readings for the first week of classes will be available in PDF form and
posted on Canvas by the end of Orientation week. Some textbooks might also become available
as online course reserves through the Loyola Law Library that week. If we learn that low stock
or shipment delays are preventing students from acquiring textbooks after the first week of class,
we will provide options for students to access other reading assignments digitally, to the extent
permitted by copyright.

 

Q: May I use the old editions of the Lawyering I textbooks?

A: Perhaps, but you do so at your own risk. Your professor is not going to check your textbooks
to confirm that you have purchased the current edition. However, all reading assignments in the
Schedule of Assignments will be keyed to the current edition, and old editions likely will have
missing or outdated content. We are using the same editions of three of the four textbooks
(Louisiana Legal Research, The Bluebook, and the Texas Law Review Manual on Usage & Style)
that we used in Fall 2023, so before purchasing old editions of those textbooks, you might try
finding a used copy from the Loyola Bookstore or an upper-class student.

CAUTION: Be very wary of purchasing The Bluebook from unofficial online sellers. In
recent years, third-party vendors (including sellers on sites like Amazon.com) have begun selling
“bootleg” copies of The Bluebook created by scanning the real Bluebook and printing new copies. However, during this process, errors in optical character recognition (OCR) result in errors in the bootleg copies. You do not want these errors to affect the accuracy of your legal citations.

 

Q: May I use digital versions of the textbooks instead?

A: Yes, if you’d like.

  • You may purchase digital versions of A Lawyer Writes and Louisiana Legal Research through the Loyola University Bookstore.
  • You can access a free digital version of Louisiana Legal Research and A Lawyer Writes via the LexisNexis Digital Library accessible through the Law Library’s website: https://lexisdl.com/library/LOYNO. Please note that your login credentials might not allow you to access the LexisNexis Digital Library until the semester begins; thank you in advance for your patience with this process.
  • You may purchase a one-, two-, or three-year subscription to the online version of The Bluebook at https://www.legalbluebook.com/. [Note: The Bluebook is a required text for both Lawyering I and Lawyering II.]
  • You may purchase the digital version of the Texas Law Review Manual on Usage & Style as an Online eBook directly from the publisher at https://texaslawjournals.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/manual-usage-and-style-mous.
  • You may temporarily check out individual digital chapters from the Texas Law Review Manual on Usage & Style from the Law Library’s online catalog (this process requires you to enter your Loyola login credentials and download the MyDocs app for viewing).

 

Q: Why can’t I purchase a hard copy of the Texas Law Review Manual? What should I do

instead?

A: For many years, Loyola’s Lawyering Program has used the Texas Law Review Manual

because it is user-friendly and more affordable than many other legal writing style manuals.

Roughly two years ago, the publisher decided to publish the manual in digital format only, so

hard copies of the current (15th) edition (which came out in 2020) exist, but they are scarce.

Here are some options for acquiring the Texas Law Review Manual for the start of the school

year:

  • Buy the 15th edition as an Online eBook directly from the publisher at

https://texaslawjournals.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/manual-usage-and-style-

mous.

  • Buy a hard copy of the 15th edition from another online retailer like Amazon (but note that the sale price might be considerably higher than the price of the Online eBook sold by the publisher).
  • Temporarily check out individual digital chapters from the Texas Law Review Manual on Usage & Style from the Law Library’s online catalog (this process requires you to enter your Loyola login credentials and download the MyDocs app for viewing).

 

Q: When will I be able to see the Canvas course for Lawyering I?

A: Each professor will publish the Canvas course for their sections during Orientation, so you

will be able to access your section’s course no later than the end of Orientation week.

 

Q: May I see the Lawyering I assignment schedule in advance so that I can work ahead?

A: Professors will publish the assignment schedule during Orientation so that all students receive

the assignments at roughly the same time. The best thing that you can do for yourself right now

is complete the Orientation assignments once they become available. If you face exceptional

circumstances and need certain additional information about the first few weeks of the semester,

please contact your Lawyering I professor or Professor Bishop (eabishop@loyno.edu) via email.