Call for Proposals: Legal Writing Institute 2010 – Marco Island, FL

The Legal Writing Institute seeks proposals for its 14th Biennial Conference, June 27-30, 2010. Decisions will be made by fall 2009. The organizers’ website (under construction) is here.

Call for Proposals for the
14th Biennial Conference
of the Legal Writing Institute

Conference Information
When: June 27-30, 2010
Where: Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort

Introduction
The 2010 Conference of the Legal Writing Institute will once again bring together legal writing colleagues from across the nation. In this collegial and collaborative environment, colleagues will have a chance to meet, reconnect, and share ideas about pedagogy, scholarship, and professional growth.

To that end, the conference program committee welcomes proposals on any subject of interest to those teaching legal writing. Please read the Background Information and Proposal Requirements (below) carefully. Details have changed since 2008.

Of particular note is that in 2010, the conference will be held at a resort rather than a law school. The resort has many amenities for families, so we encourage you to include your families in your travel plans. You can learn more about the resort here.

In addition, in an effort to encourage more interaction between LWI members and practicing lawyers, the 2010 conference will include a “practitioner track.” On the first day of the conference, specially-designated sessions throughout the day will address topics of particular interest to practitioners. Examples of such topics might include sessions on what constitutes good writing or effective drafting; mentoring new lawyers; or persuasion strategies. Practitioners will be invited to purchase a one-day registration for that day. Practitioner-track sessions will be open to all conference attendees, and practitioners will be encouraged to attend non-practitioner-track sessions as well. We encourage you to consider whether your proposal would be appropriate for the practitioner track.

Background Information
Selection: Over the years, the process for selecting presentations for the LWI biennial conference has become increasingly competitive, with the number of proposals far exceeding the number of slots available. For that reason, please craft your proposal carefully. The committee will look for proposals that describe the presentation and its goals in detail. Our assumption is that a clear and detailed proposal today will lead to a stronger presentation in June 2010. To see an example of a strong proposal, please visit our website. All decisions will be made by fall of 2009.

Multiple proposals and the “one-presentation rule”: You may submit more than one proposal, and you need not rank your proposals in order of preference. If you are selected for more than one presentation or panel, you will be given the opportunity to select the one presentation or panel in which you would like to participate.

Time slots: In crafting your proposal, please assume you will have 45 minutes for your presentation. Of those 45 minutes, you should allocate at least 10 minutes to a Q&A period. Although the committee expects that nearly all presentations will be assigned a 45-minute time slot, we recognize that a few presentations are better served with more time. For that reason, we have set aside a few 75-minute slots. If you are interested in a 75-minute time slot, your proposal should clearly explain why 75 minutes is necessary. Again, please allocate sufficient time for questions.

Presentation topics: The committee seeks a mix of presentations, including presentations that address teaching ideas for new and veteran teachers, scholarship, and professional growth. Finally, as mentioned above, we also seek presentations that would appeal to practitioners.

Presentation format: Presentations may be in any form the presenter finds effective: lecture and Q&A, lecture with small group discussions, round table discussion, panel presentation, poster presentation, popcorn session, etc. Based on comments we received from the 2008 LWI Conference, we have particular recommendations below for panel presentations, poster presentations, and popcorn sessions.

Panel presentations
If you submit a proposal for a panel presentation, you will be asked to designate a moderator. The moderator should be someone who is not a panelist and who will ensure (1) equivalent time for each panelist to speak and (2) sufficient time for Q&A. If your proposal does not name a moderator, and your proposal is accepted, the program committee will select an appropriate moderator.

Your proposal description should include the name and school of each panelist. It should also describe the contribution each panelist will make to the discussion.

Because most presentations will last only 45 minutes (see above), we recommend no more than 3 panelists.

Poster presentations
Poster presentations are an increasingly popular way to present scholarly and pedagogical ideas. If you are unfamiliar with poster presentations, you can see examples on the AALS site.

Posters will be spotlighted during the opening reception on the first night of the conference. Because the program committee would like to highlight the poster presentations, poster presentations will have their own time slot on the schedule when other presentations are not scheduled.

If you are interested in giving a poster presentation, please indicate your preference when you submit your proposal. In addition, because the committee wants to encourage the development of poster presentations, every person who submits a proposal will be asked if he or she would be willing to present through a poster presentation. Your proposal will not be judged differently whether you say “yes” or “no.”

You will not need to submit the actual poster in advance of the conference, although you are welcome to do so as part of your proposal if you have a mock-up available. Unfortunately, we are not yet certain of the precise limitations on the posters’ sizes. We will communicate that information as soon as it is available.

Because poster presentations are a relatively new format for the legal writing community, mentoring is available. We will set up a website to provide sample posters and other details specific to poster presentations.

Popcorn sessions
At the 2008 LWI conference, popcorn sessions were a hit. Popcorn sessions were evening, informal presentations that featured group conversation and interaction. Because the purpose of a popcorn session is to foster dialogue among conference attendees, these are particularly well suited for hot topics in the legal writing community.

Technology: At our new venue, technology is expensive. As a result, we may designate particular rooms that will have technology and other rooms that will be without technology. Therefore, we ask that you explain whether your presentation requires projection or internet access and the degree to which each is necessary to your presentation. Proposals that include requests for technology will not be viewed negatively, but we do need to identify technology needs in advance of the conference.

No marketing: Although the committee welcomes proposals on any topic of interest to legal writing faculty, a proposal will not be accepted if it appears to be a means to market a textbook or other for-pay product.

Questions? If you have any questions, please contact one of the Program Committee Co-Chairs: Alison Julien at alison.julien [at] marquette.edu or Joan Malmud at jmalmud [at] uoregon.edu.