Real-Life Communication
Judges do a lot of writing. One study says preparing decisions takes
up more of a judge's time than hearing cases or any other aspect of their
job.
Written rulings are important not only because they decide the
outcome of a case, but also because they will be used for future legal proceedings.
Appeals may be based on the ruling. Lawyers arguing other cases may cite the
decision in the future.
Judges say the best decisions are clear and
to the point, containing all the necessary information without being wordy
or too long.
You're the judge hearing a case involving a student's
right to have access to the internet at school. The case is called Thomas
vs. the Public Schools.
You've heard the oral arguments from both sides.
The school says it must limit internet access to protect students from finding
inappropriate material. The student says she must have open access to the
internet in order to conduct her schoolwork.
You find two cases that
offer some guidance: Smith vs. New Orleans Schools and Gray vs. New York City
Schools. In the Smith case, a court said students could be prohibited from
smoking on school grounds. In Gray, the rights of schools to set certain dress
code limits were affirmed.
You think it over and side with the school.
You feel the limited access provides enough freedom for the student to find
her information -- it's necessary to prevent the tool from being abused by
other students.
Remember that most decisions begin with some kind of
general statement about general subject matter, delve briefly into the earlier
case studies and then end with a clearly stated ruling. Try to make your ruling
about 300 words.