Testimonials
I have included below a sampling of feedback that I have received from my UM Law students over the years, as well as a few Writer's Edge clients. Unless written in the third person, the feedback was unsolicited. In other words, the students—often after they graduated and began practicing law—contacted me in gestures of thanks. Take a look!
I feel that I grew tremendously as a writer in your legal writing class and that the quality of my work greatly improved thanks to your guidance. In fact, I would like to credit you for the Dean's Certificate of Achievement award I received in Legal Writing for this past semester.
After being out of grad school for 10 years, if it wasn't for you and what I learned in JWJ I would have never been on the 1L Dean's List or been accepted to a Law Review or Bar and Gavel. Thank you!
Your class has prepared me for law school more than any article, speaker, or other preparatory material I could ever dream of coming across. You are not only a brilliant legal writer and professor, but you are so personable and approachable, and that really sets you apart from the majority of any of the professors out there!
I wanted to thank you again for being there for me and for all of us, and for being such a splendid educator. I owe much of my 1L survival to you and to JWJ. It was the best decision I ever made.
I learned more about writing in these five weeks than I have in my entire life.
- law students who had taken law school prep course as entering students
******
I'm putting into practice a lot of the techniques you taught us. The things I learned in your course are already proving to be beneficial.
[E]ver since your class, I can’t help but critique every writing I read--something you said we, the class, should aspire to enjoy. Honestly, at that time, I didn’t believe I could attain such zeal for grammar. Yet, now I can’t stop actively engaging every sentence I read. So thank you for tapping into my subconscious somehow.
- recent graduates who took advanced legal writing & editing course
******
I honestly didn't expect to have a professor as prepared as you were. You brought a lot of positive energy to each & every class, which goes a long way with students! . . . Overall, the course was a slam dunk! It alleviated a significant amount of stress I had regarding entering as a 1L, while giving me tools and insight that will be useful in succeeding. Learning how to approach law school has definitely given me, and anyone who chooses to partake in this course, an advantage.
I found the course immensely helpful. I think it’s a great primer to law school. Although law school will be tough, I feel that the teaching and the materials given will help me navigate the waters with more grace. . . . [Susie] broke down new and difficult material in a way that was easy to understand. Also, I often found the three hours we spent in class go by fairly quickly and was engaged the whole time. This definitely speaks to the outstanding quality of the teaching. Susie is an excellent professor. She does a great job of packing important basic skills for law school in a short course. I also really enjoyed the readings and materials we discussed. It’s incredible how much I learned in a short period of time. Thanks to Susie, I now feel more confident walking into my first year law classes.
We were introduced to the basic concepts, and even got real feedback on our writing. This was valuable. For me, the most valuable lessons of the course were 1) learning how to brief opinions; 2) learning about [civil] procedure; 3) building a framework for entering law school with the proper set of goals and focus; 4) learning how to navigate the [B]luebook; and 5) learning how to make my language more cogent and appropriate for legal writing.
- recent Writer's Edge prep course evaluations
******
You were one of the toughest professors I had at UM Law (that's a good thing) and my writing, research, and understanding of this craft are
better for it.
I just wanted to thank you for being such a great [legal research & writing] professor. Your comments on my memoranda and briefs resonate with me nearly five years later. I receive compliments on my writing fairly regularly and I believe you played a major role in my development.
You taught me legal writing (in 1992!!!!), and what I learned has served me well in my practice, . . . .
Thank you for being a wonderful [legal research & writing] professor to me 7 years ago. Now I have the joy of being able to pass all of that along to my students and watch them have their breakthroughs with legal writing, too!
You crossed my mind today as I made edits to a colleague's work and scribbled in the margin "avoid passive voice." :) . . . As always, I'm thankful to have had you as my [legal research & writing] professor. I'm clerking for a year for a [federal] judge . . . (which likely wouldn't have happened without your guidance and direction).
- attorneys who took 1L legal writing & analysis course in law school
******
I truly appreciate all of your help with my writing samples. Without it, I would have never gotten the interview invitation I had been waiting for!
- law student receiving edits on her writing samples for jobs
******
I wish I had the opportunity to take more classes with you. . . . [Y]ours was one of my favorites, and it is the reason I am taking Appellate Advocacy in the fall. Hopefully I can take everything you taught me and do something great with it.
Her style of teaching is excellent. It is a shame all professors are not as helpful and enthusiastic as Professor Bennett.
She actually taught us how to write effectively, . . . . All professors should teach this class like her!
Prof. Bennett was the most helpful, articulate and dedicated teacher I have encountered at UM School of Law.
Prof. Bennett is organized & helpful and give lots of constructive feedback.
- law students who took 1L legal communication/writing course
******
Thank you so much for all you did for us this summer. I really feel that it was an invaluable experience.
I wanted to thank you for the impact you've had on me and my writing. You have truly been an amazing teacher and mentor and I am extremely grateful to have had your guidance.
- entering 1L students who took summer law school prep course
******
I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for everything you did for us. In my internship, I've had to write demand letters, discovery letters, complaints, answers, and everything in between. My guide (and savior) has been a binder with all of your handouts and everything I learned in your class. I got my first "win" yesterday when the judge refused to grant a motion to dismiss.
You were the only Professor that really gave us some perspective on what it means to be a lawyer and what we are doing here in law school.
You are an engaging, thorough teacher, and a genuinely lovely person. I know many other students would agree with me when I say that the law school will be at a serious loss for your departure.
I honestly feel that I was offered a job at the firm where I've been clerking based on my research and writing skills, so I definitely feel that you must receive much, if not all, of the credit for that!
I wanted to say thank you for all your help this semester. I have seen some other students' briefs and their "feedback" from their teacher, and I feel sorry for them. I did not feel confident in my writing skills when I came into law school, but now I am much more confident. You really did a terrific job teaching us how to write a brief, or anything law-related for that matter.
Professor Bennett cares a lot about the students in her class and wants all of us to succeed. She might seem like she's being hard on us at times (about picky details), but when I compare my writing with other students' writing (receiving similar grades), I am thankful for Susie!
I interviewed for a law clerk position with the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, and the judge had remarked on the application that my writing sample (the argument section of the brief) was the best writing sample from seven other interviewees. Notably, two of those interviewees came from UF and another two came from Fordham. I owe my progress in writing largely to you, and I want to thank you for everything that you have done for me.
- students who took 1L legal writing & analysis course
******
Do you know that it now takes me 3x as long to send an email because I edit it so many times? Email is no longer an expedient means of communicating. . . . Haha.
Thank you, Prof. You're probably the only professor that has clearly explained the passive voice! I get it now.
Ms. Bennett was a great professor. She knows bluebooking [citation form] well & was effective in teaching it.
She is the most thorough professor I have ever had when it comes to editing papers.
I honestly feel that I was offered a job at the firm where I've been clerking based on my research and writing skills, so I definitely feel that you must receive much, if not all, of the credit for that!
- students who took advanced legal writing & editing course
******
I am currently enrolled in the Advanced Moot Court class. Earlier in the semester you visited our class and gave a lecture on [citations]. It was literally the first time I have ever understood a lecture on that topic. Thank you!
- 2L or 3L student who attended legal citation presentation for writing appellate briefs
******
One can tell by the thoughtful comments she put on the drafts, and the high number of those comments . . ., [that] she wants us to succeed. She will help us get there as long as we mutually put forth effort. Thus, she doesn't give a free lunch, but will help the willing. This is a good balance for a teacher, and it demonstrates that she respects her students and is concerned with their development. . . . Also, I liked her jokes and witty comments; they kept me wanting to listen throughout the class. At the same time, the class is not one big comedy routine that you can't take seriously. Again, Susie strikes a good balance.
- 2L or 3L student who took sexual rights course
Have questions? Email me at [email protected].
I have included below a sampling of feedback that I have received from my UM Law students over the years, as well as a few Writer's Edge clients. Unless written in the third person, the feedback was unsolicited. In other words, the students—often after they graduated and began practicing law—contacted me in gestures of thanks. Take a look!
I feel that I grew tremendously as a writer in your legal writing class and that the quality of my work greatly improved thanks to your guidance. In fact, I would like to credit you for the Dean's Certificate of Achievement award I received in Legal Writing for this past semester.
After being out of grad school for 10 years, if it wasn't for you and what I learned in JWJ I would have never been on the 1L Dean's List or been accepted to a Law Review or Bar and Gavel. Thank you!
Your class has prepared me for law school more than any article, speaker, or other preparatory material I could ever dream of coming across. You are not only a brilliant legal writer and professor, but you are so personable and approachable, and that really sets you apart from the majority of any of the professors out there!
I wanted to thank you again for being there for me and for all of us, and for being such a splendid educator. I owe much of my 1L survival to you and to JWJ. It was the best decision I ever made.
I learned more about writing in these five weeks than I have in my entire life.
- law students who had taken law school prep course as entering students
******
I'm putting into practice a lot of the techniques you taught us. The things I learned in your course are already proving to be beneficial.
[E]ver since your class, I can’t help but critique every writing I read--something you said we, the class, should aspire to enjoy. Honestly, at that time, I didn’t believe I could attain such zeal for grammar. Yet, now I can’t stop actively engaging every sentence I read. So thank you for tapping into my subconscious somehow.
- recent graduates who took advanced legal writing & editing course
******
I honestly didn't expect to have a professor as prepared as you were. You brought a lot of positive energy to each & every class, which goes a long way with students! . . . Overall, the course was a slam dunk! It alleviated a significant amount of stress I had regarding entering as a 1L, while giving me tools and insight that will be useful in succeeding. Learning how to approach law school has definitely given me, and anyone who chooses to partake in this course, an advantage.
I found the course immensely helpful. I think it’s a great primer to law school. Although law school will be tough, I feel that the teaching and the materials given will help me navigate the waters with more grace. . . . [Susie] broke down new and difficult material in a way that was easy to understand. Also, I often found the three hours we spent in class go by fairly quickly and was engaged the whole time. This definitely speaks to the outstanding quality of the teaching. Susie is an excellent professor. She does a great job of packing important basic skills for law school in a short course. I also really enjoyed the readings and materials we discussed. It’s incredible how much I learned in a short period of time. Thanks to Susie, I now feel more confident walking into my first year law classes.
We were introduced to the basic concepts, and even got real feedback on our writing. This was valuable. For me, the most valuable lessons of the course were 1) learning how to brief opinions; 2) learning about [civil] procedure; 3) building a framework for entering law school with the proper set of goals and focus; 4) learning how to navigate the [B]luebook; and 5) learning how to make my language more cogent and appropriate for legal writing.
- recent Writer's Edge prep course evaluations
******
You were one of the toughest professors I had at UM Law (that's a good thing) and my writing, research, and understanding of this craft are
better for it.
I just wanted to thank you for being such a great [legal research & writing] professor. Your comments on my memoranda and briefs resonate with me nearly five years later. I receive compliments on my writing fairly regularly and I believe you played a major role in my development.
You taught me legal writing (in 1992!!!!), and what I learned has served me well in my practice, . . . .
Thank you for being a wonderful [legal research & writing] professor to me 7 years ago. Now I have the joy of being able to pass all of that along to my students and watch them have their breakthroughs with legal writing, too!
You crossed my mind today as I made edits to a colleague's work and scribbled in the margin "avoid passive voice." :) . . . As always, I'm thankful to have had you as my [legal research & writing] professor. I'm clerking for a year for a [federal] judge . . . (which likely wouldn't have happened without your guidance and direction).
- attorneys who took 1L legal writing & analysis course in law school
******
I truly appreciate all of your help with my writing samples. Without it, I would have never gotten the interview invitation I had been waiting for!
- law student receiving edits on her writing samples for jobs
******
I wish I had the opportunity to take more classes with you. . . . [Y]ours was one of my favorites, and it is the reason I am taking Appellate Advocacy in the fall. Hopefully I can take everything you taught me and do something great with it.
Her style of teaching is excellent. It is a shame all professors are not as helpful and enthusiastic as Professor Bennett.
She actually taught us how to write effectively, . . . . All professors should teach this class like her!
Prof. Bennett was the most helpful, articulate and dedicated teacher I have encountered at UM School of Law.
Prof. Bennett is organized & helpful and give lots of constructive feedback.
- law students who took 1L legal communication/writing course
******
Thank you so much for all you did for us this summer. I really feel that it was an invaluable experience.
I wanted to thank you for the impact you've had on me and my writing. You have truly been an amazing teacher and mentor and I am extremely grateful to have had your guidance.
- entering 1L students who took summer law school prep course
******
I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for everything you did for us. In my internship, I've had to write demand letters, discovery letters, complaints, answers, and everything in between. My guide (and savior) has been a binder with all of your handouts and everything I learned in your class. I got my first "win" yesterday when the judge refused to grant a motion to dismiss.
You were the only Professor that really gave us some perspective on what it means to be a lawyer and what we are doing here in law school.
You are an engaging, thorough teacher, and a genuinely lovely person. I know many other students would agree with me when I say that the law school will be at a serious loss for your departure.
I honestly feel that I was offered a job at the firm where I've been clerking based on my research and writing skills, so I definitely feel that you must receive much, if not all, of the credit for that!
I wanted to say thank you for all your help this semester. I have seen some other students' briefs and their "feedback" from their teacher, and I feel sorry for them. I did not feel confident in my writing skills when I came into law school, but now I am much more confident. You really did a terrific job teaching us how to write a brief, or anything law-related for that matter.
Professor Bennett cares a lot about the students in her class and wants all of us to succeed. She might seem like she's being hard on us at times (about picky details), but when I compare my writing with other students' writing (receiving similar grades), I am thankful for Susie!
I interviewed for a law clerk position with the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, and the judge had remarked on the application that my writing sample (the argument section of the brief) was the best writing sample from seven other interviewees. Notably, two of those interviewees came from UF and another two came from Fordham. I owe my progress in writing largely to you, and I want to thank you for everything that you have done for me.
- students who took 1L legal writing & analysis course
******
Do you know that it now takes me 3x as long to send an email because I edit it so many times? Email is no longer an expedient means of communicating. . . . Haha.
Thank you, Prof. You're probably the only professor that has clearly explained the passive voice! I get it now.
Ms. Bennett was a great professor. She knows bluebooking [citation form] well & was effective in teaching it.
She is the most thorough professor I have ever had when it comes to editing papers.
I honestly feel that I was offered a job at the firm where I've been clerking based on my research and writing skills, so I definitely feel that you must receive much, if not all, of the credit for that!
- students who took advanced legal writing & editing course
******
I am currently enrolled in the Advanced Moot Court class. Earlier in the semester you visited our class and gave a lecture on [citations]. It was literally the first time I have ever understood a lecture on that topic. Thank you!
- 2L or 3L student who attended legal citation presentation for writing appellate briefs
******
One can tell by the thoughtful comments she put on the drafts, and the high number of those comments . . ., [that] she wants us to succeed. She will help us get there as long as we mutually put forth effort. Thus, she doesn't give a free lunch, but will help the willing. This is a good balance for a teacher, and it demonstrates that she respects her students and is concerned with their development. . . . Also, I liked her jokes and witty comments; they kept me wanting to listen throughout the class. At the same time, the class is not one big comedy routine that you can't take seriously. Again, Susie strikes a good balance.
- 2L or 3L student who took sexual rights course
Have questions? Email me at [email protected].