Law School Flash Fiction: Describe Law School In 6 Words Or Less

Lisa Mazzie, a legal writing professor at Marquette University Law School, challenged her students to a round of “flash fiction” – writing a story in six words or less. Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway won a bet challenging him to write a story in six words or less. His flash fiction: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.”

According to Mazzie, her goal was improving concision in legal writing with something challenging and fun.

One of the things we try to teach our law students is how to write concisely. And nothing is more concise than a story in six words.

A few results from students and professors at Marquette:

Answer:  “It depends”

worked

most days

Professor Rebecca Blemberg


Old dog, new liberalism; Antonin Scalia.

Gil Simpson, 2L

 

Cost-benefit analysis rules the case.

Professor Melissa Greipp

The Wall Street Journal Law Blog even got into the flash fiction fun:

• For sale: law degree, no promises.

• Three years later, they weren’t ready.

• $200,000, 24 B+’s, first-year associate.

• You’ll get hired. So they claimed.

• ‘But I’m tenured!’ the professor replied.

• The former dean pleaded not guilty.