The FInal

[Note: Week 10 assignment is below this post]

Instructions for the final:


Each student may give either a sermon or a closing argument of 8-12 minutes. You must sign up for a time slot on Prof. Osler’s door beginning on Monday, April 20.

Students will be allowed some latitude in choosing the topic of their closing or sermon. Two suggested cases and two sermon topics are listed below. If you choose to use a different topic you may, but must provide Prof. Osler with a description of your topic by Wednesday, April 22 at Mark_W_Osler@Baylor.edu. It may not be the re-use of an argument you have made for mock trial or practice court.

You are encouraged to invite friends to watch your sermon or closing.

Closing topics:

1) At the trial level, an argument for or against school integration in Texas in 1953. You can use any facts drawn from that time period as the basis for your argument. You should assume you are making the argument in 1953, before Brown v. Board of Education. This is a civil case pitting a black family against a white school district.

2) The case of United States v. Wixom, for which a short outline will be available in the Oral Advocacy box on the 3d floor. You may argue either side.

Sermon Topics:

1) Judgment and Grace
Supporting texts:
John 8:1-12
Matthew 20:1-16

2) The Call to Vocation
Supporting texts:
Exodus 3-4
Jeremiah 1
Isaiah 6

Week 10: Closing the Deal

President John F. Kennedy gave this speech at Rice University in 1962.

Week 9: Back to "On Rhetoric"

What did you make of our return to Aristotle?

Week 8: Sit Down and Write!

Just Say The Word, pp. 1-43. Last stop before we go back to Aristotle...