COMM 420, Sp. 22 – Communication Law
Outline for Legal Case Study Paper/Moot Court Arguments
1. Write a paper, approx. 6-8 pages in length that analyzes an assigned case study in communication law. The
paper should include legal citations for sources used.
2. The paper must adhere to acceptable grammar and spelling rules, and must be typed, double-space with
acceptable (no more than 1″) margins. Type face may be no larger than 12-point. Points will be deducted for
misspellings and grammatical errors.
3. All papers are due by 11:59 pm on May 16. No late papers will be accepted. No exceptions! They will be
processed and sent to peer reviewers the next day. Please note: If you do not submit a paper, you will not be able to
participate in the Peer jury reviews. Again, no exceptions to this.
4. Papers should investigate the case study as it relates to a fundamental legal principle. An outline for the case
study evaluation should include: Your paper should use this outline format:
I. Introduction to the case study
Explain in your own words the background and history of the case; what’s it about, what’s really going on
with this situation, etc. You can take this from the case study I provided, but you need to explain it in your
own words. Include:
Background
History of the events that led to the lawsuit
II. List and explain the tort standard for this area of law. Don’t just list, be sure you explain each tort.
You did this on the exam and in case studies so this isn’t new
III. Rule on the case – from the perspective of the Plaintiff or Defendant (you’ve been assigned to one
side)
• Apply the current standard of law that explained above
• Be sure to apply all tort standards of the law to your ruling. If you think one doesn’t apply,
say that but you also have to explain why it doesn’t relate.
• Use legal citations to support your arguments. Don’t forget First Amendment Principles, the 3
C’s, etc. I’ve provided cases for you and there’s a tutorial attached on how to find cases.
• Argue the law/restriction constitutional or unconstitutional?
*Base this on any important cases/case law. In other words, support your arguments — explain
why you came to that conclusion and how your argument is based on legal reasoning.
IV. State why your side should win this case! State your strongest legal arguments based on the
application of the standards you applied above and make a persuasive argument as to why your client
should win the case.
5. You should write this as a paper – do NOT pretend that you’re making argument in a court. This s not an
exercise in oral arguments.
6. Your paper, and your opponent’s paper, will be sent to the peer jurors without your name on it. Jurors will review
your arguments, complete a review form and vote on which side one. The winning paper will receive extra credit
added to their grade.
Important Dates to Mark on Your Calendar!
Paper meeting with Instructor –May 2 and May 9 during class time or by appointment
Moot Court Final Paper due – May 16
Peer/juror reviews due – May 22
How to find Applicable Case Law:
1. Start with your textbook and our class discussions to find cases that support the current tort law in your
area of law.
2. TU’s Cook Library → Databases→
Best one is:
NexisUni→ Cases → Select Federal →…about (enter area of law)→ start with search of all; then restrict to last 5 years→
Search
* You can also search NexisUni for news stories but you need to limit search terms
