Kathleen Elliott Vinson

Biography

As Director of Legal Writing, Research, and Written Advocacy, Professor Vinson is an active leader in the legal writing field on a national, regional, and local level. Under her directorship, Suffolk’s LPS program has been ranked in the Top 10 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report since 2013. Professor Vinson received the Mary S. Lawrence Award from the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) for pioneering scholarship and innovative curriculum or program design. She is also the recipient of several Suffolk University Teaching and Learning Innovation Grants. Professor Vinson served as Chair and Secretary of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research. She was also the President of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) and served on its Executive Committee. In addition, Professor Vinson served on the Board of the LWI. She was also an editor of the LWI Journal, the LWI Monograph Series, and LWI’s The Second Draft. In addition, she co-founded the New England Legal Writing Regional Consortium. Professor Vinson serves on the Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Balance and Well-being in Legal Education. She serves on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Advisory Committee for Professionalism in Practice and Chaired the Subcommittee on Professional Identity. She has chaired numerous committees in the legal writing organizations as well as at Suffolk, including the Dean Search Committee. Professor Vinson has served as a consultant and coach on legal writing at law firms and government agencies. Professor Vinson co-authored the book, LEGAL ANALYSIS: THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILL and the book, MINDFUL LAWYERING: THE KEY TO CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. She has also published numerous law review articles. In addition, she created the Legal Writing Matters blog. She has given numerous presentations across the country and internationally on her scholarship, teaching, and leadership. In addition to teaching at Suffolk, Professor Vinson has taught legal writing at Boston College Law School as a visitor. She also served as the Acting Director of the Academic Support Program at Suffolk. Before joining the faculty at Suffolk Law School, Professor Vinson clerked for Justice Howard Dana of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Education

• BA, magna cum laude, from Stonehill College
• JD, cum laude, Suffolk University Law School

Selected Publications

Articles

• The Great Resignation or the Great Joy in Higher Education: Lessons from the Pandemic, (September 14, 2022), available at: https://www.academicimpressions.com/blog/great-resignation-or-great-joy/
• #ThisIsMe, 29 PERSPS, 19 (Spring 2021)
• Under Pressure: How Incorporating Time-Pressured Performance Test Prepares Students for the Bar Exam (co-author Sabrina DeFabritiis), 122 West Virg. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2019)
• Digital Pro Bono: Leveraging Technology to Provide Access to Justice (co-author Samantha A. Moppett), 92 ST. JOHN'S L. REV. 101 (fall 2018)
• Closing the Legal Aid Gap One Research Question at a Time, 8 HLRe 15 (July 2017), (co-author Samantha Moppett) 
• Mindful Writing, SCRIBES J. LEGAL WRITING (2017)
• Keeping it Real: How to Make Research Engaging, THE SECOND DRAFT (2017) (co-author Sabrina DeFabritiis) 
• What's Your Problem?, 44 STETSON L. REV. 777 (2015) 
• Problem Solved:  How to Incorporate Problem Solving in Your Course to Prepare Students to Practice, THE LEARNING CURVE 16 (Winter 2015) 
• Hovering Too Close: The Ramifications of Helicopter Parenting in Higher Education, 29 GA. ST. U. L. REV. 423 (2013)
• The Blurred Boundaries of Social Networking in the Legal Field: Just "Face" It, 41 U. MEM. L. REV. 355 (2010)
  
• Teaching in Practice: Legal Writing Faculty as Expert Writing Consultants to Law Firms, 60 MERCER L. REV. 761 (2009) (with Joan Blum)
  
• Improving Legal Writing: A Life-Long Learning Process and Continuing Professional Challenge, 21 TOURO L. REV. 517 (2005)
  

Books

• LEGAL ANALYSIS: THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILL (co-author David Romantz) (1998) (2d ed. 2009) (3D ED. 2020)
• MINDFUL LAWYERING: THE KEY TO CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING (co-author Shailini George and Samantha Moppett ) (2018)

Book Chapters

• Chapter 9, Social Networking in the Medical Community, in SOCIAL MEDIA AND MEDICINE (New Forums Press, 2012)
• Chapter 7, LEGAL ANALYSIS: THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILL, reprinted in DRAFTING EFFECTIVE LITIGATION DOCUMENTS 53-78 (Boston, MA: Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education), in (1998) (with David S. Romantz) 

Media

• Created and hosts a podcast, Law FaculTEAS, available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06Y4Kt1Y6GvnUM2XW61rUe
• Lead the Way: How Leadership Courses in Law Schools Can Satisfy ABA Standard 303, Legal Writing Maatters Blog (September 7, 2022), https://sites.suffolk.edu/legalwritingmatters/2022/09/07/lead-the-way-how-leadership-courses-in-law-schools-can-satisfy-aba-standard-30/"
• Just Look Up: Legal Writing Matters blog (August 11, 2022), https://sites.suffolk.edu/legalwritingmatters/2022/08/11/just-look-up/
• Leadership Development in Law School in One Week, Training Lawyers as Leaders Blog (Feb. 2, 2022) 
• The Pandemic and Post-Traumatic Growth, Legal Writing Matters Blog (July 19, 2021) 
• Let It Out, Law Student Well-Being Blog (April 24, 2020)
• Choose You, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Oct. 31, 2019)
• Change it Up, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Oct. 31, 2019)
• Be Flexible, Law Student Well-Being Blog, (Oct. 31, 2019)
• Run Your Race, Law Student Well-Being Blog, (Oct. 17, 2019)
• Ask for Help, Law Student Well-Being Blog, (Oct. 17, 2019)
• Nourish Your Soul, Law Student Well-Being Blog, (Oct. 17, 2019)
• Acknowledge Your Fear, Law Student Well-Being Blog, (Sept. 11, 2019)
• Persevere, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Sept. 11, 2019)
• Take One Step at a Time, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Sept. 11, 2019)
• Find Your Strength, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Aug. 27, 2019)
• Be Present, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Aug. 27, 2019)
• Be Positive, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Aug. 27, 2019)
• Train Your Mind, Law Student Well-Being Blog (Aug. 5, 2019)
• Commit to a Plan, Law Student Well-Being Blog (July 30, 2019)
• What I Wish I Knew Before Law School, Legal Writing Matters Blog (July 16, 2019)
• Educating the Whole Lawyer: Mind, Body, and Spirit, (co-author Shailini George) Legal Writing Matters blog (Feb. 25, 2019), also posted to Teach Law Better Blog
• Tips for Law Students During the Summer Daze, Legal Writing Matters blog (Aug. 12, 2016), 
• Why Law Students Should Welcome Feedback, Legal Writing Matters blog (Oct. 13, 2015),
• Concerns of Incoming First-Year Students, Legal Writing Matters blog (Aug. 31, 2015),
• Preparing Students for the Bar Exam, Legal Writing Matters blog (July 29, 2015) (co-author Sabrina DeFabritiis),
• Using a Writing Lockdown to Help Students Avoid Procrastination, Legal Writing Matters blog (July 7, 2015),
• Media interview on article published in USA Today, Self-sufficiency Elusive to Young Adults of Hovering Parents, by Anita Bruzzese, Gannett, published August 24, 2012

Bar Admittance

• MA
• Federal District Court of MA
• First Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court

Awards & Honors

• Catherine T. Judge Teaching and Service Award recipient 2023 (recognizing a distinguished female faculty member who exemplifies Professor Judge's unwavering commitment to student mentorship and thoughtful pedagogy).
• Mary S. Lawrence Award Recipient (2018) (for pioneering scholarship and innovative curriculum or program design)
• Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant (2012, 2019-2020)
• Chair, Immediate Past-Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research (2010-2014).
• President, Immediate Past President, President-Elect, Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) (2012-2015)
• Board of Directors, ALWD (2009-2015)Board of Directors, Legal Writing Institute (2004-2006)
• Editor, LWI Journal (2016-2020)
• Editor, the LWI Monograph Series (2007-2013)
• Editor, LWI’s The Second Draft (2005-2010)
• Co-founder, New England Legal Writing Regional Consortium (2000)
• Executive Committee, AALS Section on Balance and Well-being in Legal Education (2020-2022).
• Member, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Advisory Committee for Professionalism in Practice (2015-2023)
• Member, AALS Section on Leadership (2020-present)
• Legal Writing Institute/Association of Legal Writing Directors (LWI/ALWD) Scholarship Grant Recipient (2005)
• Top 15 App for Lawyers by Daily Business Review (for iWrite Legal app) (2013)