Laura Graham

Laura Graham

Professor of Legal Writing
Director of Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research

Winner of the first Graham Award for Excellence in Teaching Legal Research and Writing, Laura Graham has been teaching Legal Analysis, Writing, & Research and Appellate Advocacy at Wake Forest since 1999. Her research and speaking interests center on how to maximize beginning law students' early success in legal writing. She is a regular contributor to various state and national bar journals, where she provides writing refreshers for practicing attorneys. Prior to joining the faculty, Laura served as judicial clerk for Judge Ralph Walker of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and was in private practice in Jacksonville, North Carolina, specializing in … Read more »

Winner of the first Graham Award for Excellence in Teaching Legal Research and Writing, Laura Graham has been teaching Legal Analysis, Writing, & Research and Appellate Advocacy at Wake Forest since 1999. Her research and speaking interests center on how to maximize beginning law students' early success in legal writing. She is a regular contributor to various state and national bar journals, where she provides writing refreshers for practicing attorneys. Prior to joining the faculty, Laura served as judicial clerk for Judge Ralph Walker of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and was in private practice in Jacksonville, North Carolina, specializing in domestic law and appellate practice. She is a graduate of the Wake Forest Law School, where she received the 1994 Outstanding Woman Law Graduate Award. She and her husband, Joseph, a retired Naval officer, are the parents of Ellen. Laura is active in her church ministries, especially the children's music program, and enjoys singing, reading, and spending time with her family.


Education

  • JD, Wake Forest University School of Law, 1994
  • BA, summa cum laude, Wake Forest University, 1986

Publications

Books

  • North Carolina Legal Research, Second Edition (2019).
  • The Pre-Writing Handbook for Law Students: A Step-by-Step Guide (Carolina Academic Press 2013).

Articles

  • A Letter to My (Younger) Teaching Self, AALS, Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning & Research Newsletter (2018).
  • Interval Training for Legal Writing Scholars, J. Legal Writing Inst. (2019) forthcoming.
  • Generation Z Goes to Law School: Teaching and Reaching Law Students in the Post-Millennial Generation, U. Ark. Little Rock Law Rev. (2019) forthcoming.
  • Writing that Works: Ringing in the New Year: Key Changes to the NC Rules of Appellate Procedure, (2017).
  • Writing that Works: The Beauty of a Blank Page, (2016).
  • Writing that Works: Help for the Legislative Drafter, Part 2, (2016).
  • Writing that Works: By Popular Demand: A Little Help for the Legislative Drafter, (2016).
  • Writing that Works: "Airs and Graces": Using Colons and Semicolons to Elevate Your Writing, (2015).
  • Writing That Works: Lessons Learned: The Correct Usage of flaunt, flout, and Other Frequently Confused Words, (2015).
  • Writing That Works: Capitalization for Practitioners: Consistency Counts, (2015).
  • Avoiding the "Benchslap": Meeting the Court's Expectations, (2014).
  • Why-RAC? Revisiting The Traditional Paradigm For Writing About Legal Analysis, (2014).
  • EET? HERIM? HISERT? A Bridge Too Far In Search Of Gender-Inclusive Language?, (2014).
  • To Footnote or Not to Footnote Citations: The Debate Rages On, (2014).
  • Citation Refresher, Part II, Writing that Works: North Carolina Lawyer Magazine (2014).
  • Citation: Back to the Basics, 24 NC Lawyer Magazine 30 (2013).
  • Dashes and Hyphens: Rules for the Discriminating Writer, 23 NC Lawyer Magazine 32 (2013).
  • Three Writing Rules that Are "More What You'd Call Guidelines", 23 NC Lawyer Magazine 30 (2013).
  • Writing that Works: The Legalese Limit, (2012).
  • Writing that Works: Grammar & Punctuation: Lessons from Aristotle, (2012).
  • Ten Tips for Creating a Great Writing Sample, (2012).
  • Writing that Works: Cosmetic Credibility: Using Document Design to Enhance Legal Writing, (2011).
  • Writing that Works: Conciseness: Why It's Important and How to Achieve It, (2011).
  • Before You Click "Send": E-mail Best Practices for Lawyers, The Young Lawyer (2011).
  • A Better Beginning: Why and How to Help Novice Legal Writers Build a Solid Foundation by Shifting Their Focus from Product to Process, 24 83 ff (2011).
  • Writing that Works: The Quest for Clarity Part I, 13 (2010).
  • Writing that Works: Precision: The Indispensable Characteristic of Good Legal Writing, 14 (2010).
  • Writing that Works: Precision, Clarity, & Conciseness -- Three Interrelated Hallmarks of Good Legal Writing, 11 (2010).
  • Writing that Works: Good Legal Writing -- Easy to Explain, Difficult to Do, 11 (2010).
  • Beginning Legal Writers In Their Own Words: Why the First Weeks of Legal Writing Are So Tough and What We Can Do About It., 16 225-311 (2010).
  • Comment, The Uniform Premarital Agreement Act and Modern Social Policy: The Enforceability of Premarital Agreements Regulating the Ongoing Marriage, 28 Wake Forest Law Review 1037 (1993).

Other

Media

Laura Graham
Contact Information
 336.758.1995

Worrell 3129
Expertise
  • Appellate Law & Practice
  • Law Teaching
  • Legal Writing & Research