Iowa State University
Speech Communication 324

Legal Communication

Contacting Me

 Prof. Jean Goodwin
goodwin@iastate.edu
223 Ross, Mon 10-12, Wed 3-5, & freely by appointment
(complete contact info)


Course Goals

 This course promises to make you a skilled forensic rhetorician. In particular, you will learn the skills of:
  • Storytelling: How to tell an accurate, sufficient and persuasive story.
  • Questioning: How to elicit facts from cooperative and uncooperative people.
  • Arguing: How to establish your position on contested issues.
  • Ethical Reflection (Thinking): How to raise and consider ethical questions about all this.


Course Materials

 Syllabus*
About the Ethics Tutorial*
Chapter 2*
Chapter 3*
About Group Work Story-telling assignment*
Chapter 4*
A sample opening argument, with commentary*
About the exam questions
Arguing Assignment*
Chapter 5: Argument basics*
Chapter 6: Topoi*
Chapter 7: Stasis*
Chapter 8: Denial cases*
Chapter 9: Justification cases*
Chapter 10: Excuse cases*
Chapter 11: The Ethics of Excuses*
An article on the importance of topoi in law school*
Questioning assignment*
Trial Preparation: Full Details*
Third exam (take home)*
Sample direct examination from Simpson trial*
How to impeach a witness*
Chapter 13: Justice and the Jury*
Chapter 14: Gender and Legal Communication
About the Final Self-Assessment*


*Note

 Materials marked with a "*" are in "pdf" or "Acrobat" format. For information and to download a free copy of the Acrobat Reader, try the Extension's PDF page.


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Last updated 8 Jan 2006.
(C) Copyright 2006 Jean Goodwin. All rights reserved.