Assignment overview

Here's what we'll be working on next week:

On Monday your first beat reports are due. We'll talk about the Internet as source; and about writing. I'll give back your speech coverage.

In class on Wednesday, we'll talk about your beat reports and about the stories people are working on for their first beat stories. Some of you may have filed them already by then. That's fine. Come ready to talk about story ideas and how to make them work.

Then, Wednesday at 1:20 p.m. we will meet outside the Missoula County Courthouse annex. Half the class will spend 30 minutes in Judge Karen Orzech's courtroom at Justice Court, the other half will meet with Shirley Faust to learn about record keeping in District Court. If you are late, find the District Court office and join that group. At 2 p.m., the two groups will trade places. I'll stay with the courtroom group.

At 2:30, I will pick up documents from a couple of the first appearances each group watched. I'll make copies of these for you and have them available back at my office by 4. I'll leave them there; pick them up when you can. Your assignment: Write two four paragraph long briefs using the documents I provide and any notes you take in court. These are due at midnight on Wednesday, via my umontana.edu email.

If you don't have someplace pressing to be at 2:30, I'd encourage you to wander around the courthouse and make your way across the street to city hall. Learn the lay of the land. We will all be working the Justice beat for a few weeks.

The first stories from your beat are due no later than Friday at noon. Breaking news stories should be filed by midnight the day they happen. These stories should be as long as they need to be, not longer, not shorter. If you need a limit, don't go over 750 words.