From Legal Writing Institute Wiki
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE FIGHT AGAINST PLAGIARISM
Problems throughout the nation’s law schools prompted the Legal Writing Institute to appoint a committee to investigate plagiarism policies and, if necessary, to create and disseminate a suggested policy. The committee contacted all ABA schools, and more than 120 schools submitted their policies, with comments and anonymous case histories.
The committee discovered:
- many schools mention plagiarism only in a general Honor Code;
- plagiarism and definitions are inconsistent and even contradictory from school to school;
- plagiarism penalties are inconsistent and contradictory from school to school.
Thus, the committee created a policy brochure that schools can modify to suit their faculty and student needs.
A thorough discussion of the committee’s findings and recommendations can be found in Terri LeClercq’s Failure to Teach: Due Process and Law School Plagiarism, 49 J. Leg. Educ. 236 (1999).
