By integrating writing and doctrine in the first semester, we are sending a message to our students, at outset of their legal education, that there is no
real divide
between analyzing legal doctrine and the writing that communicates that analysis.54 By writing within a doctrinal context, students are able to see the ways in which the law and how it is structured influence their writing choices.55 Moreover, students tend to develop a deeper understanding of the connected doctrinal course because of the writing that occurs in that doctrinal area.56 Thus a number of the benefits that result from integrating the two courses arise from the
synergies that come from teaching both courses together.57 What follows are some specific
synergies that I have observed in teaching the integrated LA&W and Introduction to Torts courses.