If you’ve read this blog at all it’s pretty obvious that I currently make my living as a freelance appellate brief writer. Other attorneys hire me to write an appellate brief for their client because they either have a time constraint or aren’t comfortable handling an appeal.

So why have I been contacted twice in recent weeks — via anonymous emails — by law students asking whether I would be willing to write a moot court appeal brief? Is the idea of personal ethics dead? What kind of ethics will a lawyer have if he or she is willing to cheat in law school? As former member of the Honor Court of the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, I am appalled that a law student would so brazenly — yet still anonymously — seek to hire a ringer to prepare work to be passed off as his or her own.

Law School. Photo per Wikipedia.

There are enough tips on this blog about appellate brief writing that any reasonably intelligent law student should be able to prepare a passable brief for moot court. So all you law students — learn to do the work yourself. It’s why you’re in school.