Legal Writing Program
Legal Writing Overview
Our dedicated staff of experienced professors is committed to making every student a better writer. We have developed a rigorous, three-semester program that engages students with real-world assignments.
These assignments—and the detailed feedback from the professors—are designed to make students “practice ready” for their summer internships or post-JD positions. Through this effort, VLGS students have a regional and national reputation for excellence in legal writing. We encourage you to explore these pages to learn how our program can help you master the art of legal writing.
VLGS is One of the Top Law Schools for State Court Clerkships – Law360 and The Princeton Review
Resources
Student Writing Competition Portal
Law Journals
Vermont Law Review
The Vermont Law Review is a student-edited legal journal published quarterly under the guidance of five senior student editors and in collaboration with Vermont Law and Graduate School faculty.
Vermont Journal of Environmental Law
The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law is a student-run organization that seeks to provide an accessible forum to discuss contemporary environmental issues and environmental justice.
Professor Accomplishments
Greg Johnson was elected to the Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research for the 2025-26 academic year. Greg served as co-chair of the Awards Committee for the AALS Section in 2024. Greg is currently co-chair of the Distinguished Speakers Committee of the Association of Legal Writing Directors.
Anna Connolly published the following writing-related articles last year:
- Anna F. Connolly, Context Matters for Deep Knowledge: What Cognitive Science Can Teach Us About Legal Writing, 68 St. Louis U. L.J. 475 (2024).
- Anna F. Connolly, Match Mindsets for Better Communication (Vermont Bar Journal, Summer 2024)
Anna Connolly presented at a conference: Legal Writing Institute Biennial Conference(Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, July 18-20, 2024).
Michael Kovac published the following articles:
- An article published in the Georgia Criminal Law Review – https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/gclr/vol2/iss2/2/
- The cover story for the Pittsburgh City Paper’s Black History Month edition – https://www.pghcitypaper.com/arts-entertainment/the-extraordinary-life-and-death-of-pittsburgh-basketball-legend-john-brisker-27420971
Claire Andrews’s fourth novel, A BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE MURDER will be published August 5th, 2025 from Little, Brown Young Readers.
Student Accomplishments
VLGS Students Excel in National Moot Court Competitions
“It was an honor to represent Vermont Law and Graduate School in the National Moot Court Competition. The experience was invaluable. Our group was given the opportunity to hone legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills that will benefit us throughout our professional careers.” – Allyson Cohen JD’25
VLGS Student Is Nominated For The Burton Award
We are delighted to announce that we have chosen Elizabeth Beairsto to be Vermont Law and Graduate School’s official nominee for the Burton Award for Distinguished Legal Writing. We chose Elizabeth’s article Clean Energy and Justice For All: The Federal Government’s Influence in State Energy Justice Legislation. We have high hopes that Elizabeth’s article can carry on this great tradition.
Elizabeth Beairsto is currently a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Christiene Celeste at the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County in Annapolis, MD. She holds a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Energy Law from Vermont Law School. Her Note, Clean Energy & Justice For All: The Federal Government’s Influence on State Energy Justice Legislation, examines the intersection of the clean energy transition and justice. Drawing from her undergraduate research on redlining and economic inequality, Elizabeth explores how recent federal legislation, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, influences state-level clean energy policies. After her clerkship, she plans to pursue a career in energy law, advocating for an equitable clean energy transition.
Vermont Law and Graduate School students consistently win the award. VLGS students have now won the award six times in the last eight years (Benjamin Leoni (2011); Garrett Chrostek (2012); Lizzie Tisher (2014); Carrie Scrufari (2017); Andrew Rome (2018); Elsa Larson (2023)). This is a high honor and a tremendous recognition of how accomplished our students are.
Faculty
Jared Carter
- Professor of Law
- First Amendment Law
Anna F. Connolly
- Associate Professor of Law
Tenielle Fordyce-Ruff
- Professor of Law in Legal Writing
- Director of Online Legal Writing
Catherine Fregosi
- Professor of Law
- Assistant Director of Legal Writing
Greg Johnson
- Director, Legal Writing Program
- Professor of Law
Michael Kovac
Brian Porto
- Professor of Law Emeritus
Grant Smith
- Assistant Professor of Law
Claire Andrews
- Program Coordinator
Legal Writing News and Events
U.S. News and World Report Again Ranks Vermont Law and Graduate School a Top Environmental Law School
April 9SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (April 9, 2025) — Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) has been ranked No. 4 among the Best Environmental Law Schools by U.S. News and World Report, [&…
From the Trouble with AI to Climate Superfund Bills: Vermont Journal of Environmental Law Stories to Watch
January 30Student-Run Journal’s Annual List Highlights Pressing Issues SOUTH ROYALTON, Vermont (Jan. 30, 2025) — The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, a publication from Ver…
VLGS Students Excel in National Moot Court Competitions
January 29Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) celebrated a series of successes during the fall 2024 semester, showcasing the skill and dedication of our students in the competitive w…
National Expert in Legal Writing Joins Vermont Law and Graduate School
August 5Tenielle Fordyce-Ruff to Lead Online Legal Writing Program SOUTH ROYALTON, Vermont (August 5, 2024) — Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) has named Tenielle Fordyce-Ruff …
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