Roger W. Andersen Professor of Law Emeritus E-Mail: randers@q.com Secretary: Jennifer Fitzgerald Phone: 419-530-5114 Suite 2006

Fall 2008

Drafting Wills and Trusts
2 Credit Hours

This course is designed to improve students’ general drafting skills by focusing on a particular subject with (mostly) familiar substantive content. It will carry one practical writing unit. Trusts & Estates is a prerequisite. Class enrollment is limited to 12.

Except for one session, the course will be conducted online via LexisNexis’ Web Course platform. I will come to Toledo for a Saturday afternoon class and individual conferences on October 11. Weekly drafting assignments will be due on Mondays. I will combine my comments on all drafts (anonymously) and post them for all class members, so that all can benefit from each other’s ideas and my comments on those approaches.

Online, distance learning is not for everyone. In the words of one student, “This course is tough for non-technical/computer-challenged people.” In addition, the course utilizes background readings placed on library reserve, so students must anticipate project deadlines. An online course necessarily places more of a communication burden on students who have questions. Wondering without asking is counter-productive. (I encourage email and phone calls.)

This course is not a “professor will explain and I will write down” experience. To learn drafting, there's a large dose of jumping in the deep end and figuring out how to get to the side. After some attempts and critiques, technique improves. Be prepared to struggle, keeping in mind that the primary focus in this course is not on the substance of the solution, but on perfecting the method for executing it.

Most projects will be individual work; some will require working with a partner from the class. Weekly assignments are required. They will be ungraded, but drafts that reflect fundamental misunderstanding or less-than-good-faith effort must be redone. A mid-semester project (a “simple” will) will count 20%, and the final project (a pour-over will and a trust agreements) will count 80% of the course grade.

Professor Roger W. Andersen, a faculty member since 1979, is a graduate of Knox College (BA), the University of Iowa (JD), and the University of Illinois (LLM).  Prior to joining the faculty, Professor Andersen worked in a bank trust department in Michigan, was in private practice in Seattle and taught at Oklahoma City University School of Law.   He assumed Emeritus status in December, 2004 and currently teaches Legal Drafting.

Professor Andersen has written in the fields of estate planning, disability law, environmental law and real property.   He has two books published by LexisNexis: Fundamentals of Trusts & Estates (2d ed. 2002 with Bloom) and Understanding Trusts & Estates (3d ed. 2003).  His latest book, Plan While You Can:  Legal Solutions for Facing Disability (2003),  is published by 1 st Books.