www.wmitchell.eduWRAP - Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion
Mehmet Konar-Steenberg
Co-Coordinator, Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion
Deborah A. Schmedemann
Co-Coordinator, Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion
Darlene Finch
Administrative Coordinator, Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion
WRAP: Mastering the fundamentals
William Mitchell’s Writing and Representation: Advice and Persuasion (WRAP) program, required for all first-year students, features small group classes for mastering fundamental client representation skills such as interviewing clients, writing memos, researching the law, negotiating contracts, settling cases, and arguing motions. This strong legal foundation gives Mitchell graduates an enduring advantage in their careers.
Good lawyers know the law. Great lawyers know the law and how to put it to work for their clients.
Our Writing and Representation: Advice and Persuasion (WRAP) program helps students develop the skills that make lawyers great:
- interviewing clients,
- researching commentary, cases, statutes, and court rules,
- reading the law,
- reasoning about a client’s situation in light of the law,
- writing office memos,
- counseling clients,
- negotiating and drafting contract clauses,
- writing a demand or response letter and negotiating settlement of a dispute, and
- arguing a motion orally and in writing.
Each of these skills is critical to helping lawyers serve clients effectively and responsibly. That’s why it’s not enough for law students to simply study the skills. They need to practice them, too.
Students in WRAP learn how to put the skills to work for their clients both by reading about and performing each skill. Classes are taught by practicing lawyers who use classroom discussions and structured simulations that mirror real-life interactions lawyers have with clients to ensure that all WRAP students understand when and how to use each skill.