Help, please.

Here's a question for all (?!) you law students, law professors, and recent grads out there (and anyone else who feels moved to comment):

In about a month, I'm speaking about federal habeas practice to a bunch of 2Ls and 3Ls who are taking a wrongful convictions seminar at a local law school. I've been trying to figure out the best way to present the extremely technical, complicated, and depressing set of rules and decisions that comprise my chosen field without boring the students to tears or totally disillusioning them.

What suggestions or ideas can you give me about the most interesting and effective way to present the basics of federal habeas? For example, how much detail I should go into? How interactive I should make my presentation? What type of written materials are most helpful? And how much of the 100-minute class should I plan to fill?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Comments

[UCL]

Wish I could help Mad! I've only worked on one habeas case in my life, as a law clerk, and boy did I wish then that my law school would've offered a course on the subject. Oddly, habeas is not a subject that's covered (except very superficially) in any traditional ConLaw classes, including Criminal Procedure. I don't know if that's true of the law school you'll be visiting, but maybe making that point will catch their interest somewhat. The Great Writ is a very mysterious and complex concept to grasp and they may not have many opportunities to learn about it beyond this specific class or even this specific lecture you'll be delivering.