Writing a Policy Paper Brief
COMM 4310 Communication Law • Malick
This final project is research-oriented, position and policy statement to be submitted to Blackboard in document form and presented in your portfolio as a standalone section.
The brief is a written narrative of 1,500 - 2,000 words and include 5-10 cited (min and max) sources. Source material should be cited within the narrative (where used) and with a works cited section at the end of your paper. Include your name, date and course in upper left of your document. Your Brief must have a title. No fancy formatting is needed for paragraph margins or indentions. Separate items or paragraphs with added space between — like on this document.
The paper should include:
- states the law or issue for consideration.
- indicates a recommendation for action;
- provides supporting information relevant to the issue and recommendation;
- lists references for the supporting legal information and other resources as necessary; and provides contact information.
A policy paper or brief is to be used in advocating legal challenges and/or for background information to interested parties.
The Framework of a Policy Brief
Policy or Issue
State the issue for consideration. Briefly state what is important to you in the context of a current legal issue and explain the relevance of the issue to your intended audience.
Proposal and Recommendation
Discuss the legal implications in connection with the above-stated issue. The recommendation may indicate the continuation, elimination, or amending of the issue. Supporting evidence and/or case law must be included.
Current Law
Describe any current/past case law or legal challenges.
Background
Provide supporting information relevant to the issue and recommendation:
- List any organizational policy that supports or is relevant to the issue.
- List the current evidence-base that supports laws, actions, activities or suggests that these laws or actions lead to a given outcome; and
- List the evidence-base used to establish the legal framework listed above.
References/Resources
- List the appropriate citations for the evidence-base you provide within the brief at the bottom/end of the document. APA style is recommended and preferred.
- List any additional resources that you deem important to support your recommendation.
Contact Information
List the individuals the recipient of the issue brief can contact for more information about the issue. Actual “real” contacts — how would someone go about addressing the issue presented here.
