• Assignment
• Factual record in Kahn v. Randall
• Template memorandum format (Word document)
• Textbook ch. 19 excerpts (on how to write legal memos)
• Sample memo 1: Harris v. Sack & Shop (textbook ill. 19-1)
• Sample memo 2: Dwyer Battery Action (textbook ill. 19-2)
• Howell v. NY Post (edited court decision)
• Tobin v. Grossman (edited court decision)
• Class notes from Tu Nov 25 — includes helpful sample Questions Presented and introduction to the Discussion section, that you are welcome to use in your own memo!

GENERAL COURSE RESOURCES!

• ZOOM LINK! for all classes and office hours: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81380874817 (Meeting ID 813 8087 4817)
• Fall 2025 Academic Calendar
• Academic Integrity policies! City Tech and CUNY
• “How to Post and Reply on OpenLab” instructions!

  ANSWER KEYS!  Quiz #1: Intro to Legal Research; Types of Authorities; Intro to Court Decisions (chs. 1-3) Quiz #2: Case briefing; intro to The Bluebook Midterm Exam     COURT SYSTEM / DETERMINING GOVERNING LAW RESOURCES! (charts, maps, etc.)

• Generic chart of court systems in US (explains 3-tier hierarchy)
• Chart of federal (US) court system (from Civil Procedure textbook)
• Maps of federal court system: (1) color and (2) black & white with districts & circuits listed on back (handed out in class)
• Chart of NYS court system (from Civil Procedure textbook) with departments & counties listed on back
• Map of NYS court system counties and departments (blue)
• “Which Court is Binding?” article from Georgetown Law School — handy summary!

  DAILY CLASS NOTES & MATERIALS! Tu Aug 26 (class 1): Course introduction!

• Today’s class notes
• College Academic Calendar (important dates & deadlines for the whole semester!)

Th Aug 28 (class 2): Types of legal authorities

• Today’s class notes
• Reading assigned for Tu Sept 2

Tu Sept 2 (class 3): Determining governing law

• Today’s class notes
• See “court system resources” above!
• Reading assigned for Th Sept 4

Th Sept 4 (class 4): Intro to court decisions: how to find them!

• NO class notes.– library research activity!
• Reading assigned for Tu Sept 9

Tu Sept 9 (class 5): How to read and understand court decisions; NYPIRG; intro to OpenLab!

• Today’s class notes
• Seymour v. Armstrong case (in reading assigned for today’s class, illustrates “anatomy of a decision”)
• NYPIRG website; Small Claims Court Action Center website
• “How to join and post on OpenLab”

Th Sept 11 (class 6): Quiz #1, Intro to case briefing!

• Today’s class notes
• King v. Miller case and brief (samples from textbook, with KC markup)
• City Tech case brief format (that we’ll follow for our briefs)

Tu Sept 16  (class 7): How to brief a case: Lisa L v. Anthony H!

• Today’s class notes
• Lisa L. v. Anthony H. case (marked for briefing)
• Coughlin’s brief of Lisa L. v. Anthony H. (not an “answer key” but hopefully a useful example!)

Th Sept 18  (class 8): Case briefing continued: Trivino v. Jamesway!

• Today’s class notes
• “Guidelines for Case Briefing”! (Coughlin’s adaptation of Cardozo Law School document)
• Trivino v. Jamesway case (marked for briefing)
• Coughlin’s Trivino v. Jamesway brief (not an “answer key” but hopefully a useful example!)
• People v. Neulander case (to read and brief, due Thursday Sept 25) — you can use this citation in your brief: People v. Neulander, 34 N.Y.3d 110 (2019).
• Word template brief format for People v. Neulander (You’re also welcome to type your own document, or write it by hand!)

Tu Sept 30 (class 10): Review Neulander brief; Intro to legal citation and The Bluebook!

• Today’s class notes
• Neulander decision – color-coded for case briefing!
• Coughlin’s sample brief of People v. Neulander
• Link to information about Spring 2025 internship with Manhattan DA’s Office (from Prof. Watson — applications due by Nov 1)

Tu Oct 7 (class 11): Quiz #2, intro to case citation!

• Today’s class notes
• Quiz #2 answer key
• Midterm exam study suggestions

Th Oct 9 (class 12): MIDTERM EXAM!

• Midterm exam answer key!

Th Oct 16 (class 13): Preview of Supreme Court Law Library visits; continuing case citation!

• Today’s class notes
• Sample case for citation: Mario v. P&C Food Mkts., Inc.
• Kings County Supreme Court Law Library website; direct link to history of the library!

Th Oct 30 (class 17): Introduction to electronic legal research: Westlaw!

• Today’s class notes
• Database of “AI hallucinations” in litigation — don’t let it happen to you!!
• NY Times article about 1827 case cited by Trump administration

Tu Nov 4 (class 18): Bluebook citation review & some follow-up!

• Today’s class notes
• Handout:“Handy Bluebook Tips #1-4” (corrected version!)

Th Nov 6 (class 19): Quiz #3; Intro to Legal Memo!

• Today’s class notes
• Quiz #3 answer key
• Excerpts from textbook ch. 19 (“The Legal Memorandum”) **REALLY helpful guidance!

Tu Nov 11 (class 20): Follow up on legal memos; our legal memo assignment!

• Today’s class notes
• Legal memo assignment (Kahn v. Randall scenario)
• Factual record in Kahn v. Randall

Th Nov 13 (class 21): Legal memo continued: How to write a Question Presented!

• Today’s class notes
• Exercise on questions presented: “aggravated burglary” scenarios

Tu Nov 18 (class 22): Legal memo continued: Legally significant facts; how to write the “facts” section

• Today’s class notes
• Exercise: Identifying legally significant facts in Kahn v. Randall

Th Nov 20 (class 23): Legal memo continued: Start writing!

• Today’s class notes

Tu Nov 25 (class 24): Legal memo continued: Drafting our Question Presented!

• Today’s class notes — includes helpful sample Questions Presented and introduction to the Discussion section! You’re welcome to use them in your own memo!
• Tobin v. Grossman (edited decision)