Date: August 27, 1997
To: Law of Electronic Media Class
From: Professor Johnson
Re: Personal Bio Writing Assignment Due September 2
One of the greatest resources of any law school is the intellectual quality, and diversity of background and experience, of its student body. We are particularly blessed at Iowa in that respect. The more we can all know about each other, and the resources we bring to the classroom, the more each of us can take from it. Besides, it's more fun knowing who these folks are with whom you are about to be locked in a room for 14 evenings.
So, please hand in (to Rita Jansen, Room 421) by September 2 a brief, one-page essay about yourself that can be shared with other members of the class. You need not, but may, examine examples in bio booklets from past classes, available from Ms. Jansen. We'll put together a comparable one for our class, make copies, and give you one.
Obviously, if there is anything you want to keep to yourself you are a skillful enough writer to do so. There's nothing you must include.
But while you wait for the muse to strike, be aware that the following kinds of things would be interesting and useful: (1) something of your family, community and upbringing, (2) early ambitions, goals or professional interests, (3) college majors, intellectual interests, activities, (4) work, travel or other job-related experiences, (5) your current obligations and environment outside of law school (e.g., marital and parental status or other family responsibilities, nature and demands of outside employment, hobbies or other activities), (6) areas of specialization in law school, student activities, or legal internships, (7) any experiences working for (or dealing with) print or electronic media, advertising, or political campaigning, (8) future goals, expectations and plans for using your legal education, (9) electronics hobbies (e.g., amateur radio license, computers).
Format Request. Please use (1) one page maximum, (2) single spaced, (3) using a computer printer or typewriter, (4) with a ribbon or laser cartridge sufficiently dark to make machine copies possible, (5) one-inch margins all around, (6) jagged, not justified, right margin, (7) the "memo heading" above (substituting only the correct date, your name for mine, and using "Re: Personal Bio"), (8) no indentation of paragraphs, (9) any reasonable font.