MOTIVATING LAW STUDENTS TO WRITE LIKE LAWYERS: CONTEXTUALISING LEARNING IN THE “WRITE IT LIKE A LAWYER” CASE STUDY

Abstract

This article explores the incorporation of contextualisation as a teaching method in legal writing programmes in South African law schools. The article argues that teaching legal writing using contextualisation can take students on a transformative journey as they learn how to write like lawyers. This will enhance student comprehension and motivation, inspiring them to engage critically with the learning materials and encouraging them to transform both on a personal level and in the context of practising law within South Africa’s constitutional dispensation. This concept is examined through the lens of a case study on a legal writing programme, the “Write it Like a Lawyer” [WiLL] programme implemented at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, in 2019. The article begins by emphasising the importance of critical thinking and student motivation when teaching students how to write persuasively. It then goes on to describe the significance of transformative, values-based teaching in South Africa today. The article concludes with recommendations for further research that could be carried out to inform the implementation of future legal writing programmes in South African law schools.