Mark Osbeck, ’86, teaches in the Law School’s Legal Practice Program. He also is a leading authority on marijuana law, having authored two significant books on the subject: Cases and Materials on Marijuana Law (West, 2019) and Marijuana Law in a Nutshell (West, 2017).

Osbeck also is the author of a widely used legal research text: Impeccable Research: A Concise Guide to Mastering Legal Research Skills, 3rd ed. (West, 2022). In addition to marijuana law, Professor Osbeck’s research interests include legal writing, legal research, judicial decision-making, and predictive legal analysis. Before joining Michigan Law in 2001, Professor Osbeck was a partner in the Denver office of a large law firm. He litigated sophisticated commercial cases for a number of years, first in Washington, D.C., and later in Denver, and he has extensive trial and appellate experience before a number of state and federal courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. While attending Johns Hopkins, he received a University Fellowship, the top departmental award. In law school, he received certificates of merit for legal writing and political philosophy.

Related Information

Areas of Interest

Education

  • University of Michigan, AB, with high distinction

  • Johns Hopkins University, MA, philosophy

  • University of Michigan Law School, JD, cum laude, Michigan Journal of Law Reform, note editor

Recent Courses

Clerkships

  • Michigan Supreme Court, Justice Charles L. Levin

Featured Scholarship

Marijuana Law in a Nutshell
  • Legal Writing and Research
Impeccable Research: A Concise Guide to Mastering Legal Research Skills
  • Criminal Law
Cases and Materials on Marijuana Law
"Outcome Prediction in the Practice of Law"
Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting
See All Scholarship

Activities

March 2022

Presented “What Role Does the Legal Memorandum (Properly) Play in Predicting Legal Outcomes, and Why Does it Matter for Legal Writing Professors?” at the Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona.

July 2021

Presented “How Shifting Social Narratives Have Driven Changes in Marijuana Law Over the Past 150 Years,” at the 8th Biennial Applied Storytelling Conference, held at the Mercer University School of Law, Macon, Georgia, (virtual presentation).

March 2021

Presented “Cannabis Law in the United States: Past, Present & Future,” at the University of Michigan School of Pharmacy, (virtual presentation).

February 2021

Presented “A Short History of Marijuana Regulation in the United States” at the KJEANRL Issues in Marijuana Law Symposium, held at the University of Kentucky  College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky, (virtual presentation).

March 2020

Presented, “Current Issues in Marijuana Law” at the University of Michigan School of Pharmacy.

July 2019

Presented "What Role (if any) Does Storytelling Play in a Predictive Legal Analysis?" at the Seventh Biennial Storytelling Conference, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder.

April 2019

Served on an expert panel about marijuana law and policy at the second annual Michigan Cannabis Leaders Summit, University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

January 2019

Presented "The History of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States" at the University of Michigan School of Pharmacy.

June 2018

Presented "Outcome Prediction in the Practice of Law" at the 2018 International Symposium on Forecasting, University of Colorado, Boulder.

March 2018

Presented "Student/Faculty Social Interactions as a Component of Student Wellness" at the Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference, University of Denver Sturm School of Law, Denver.

April 2017

Co-presented "Some Ideas for Effectively Incorporating Transactional Drafting into the 1L Legal Writing Class" at the Southeast Regional Legal Writing Conference, Stetson University School of Law, Gulfport, Florida.

March 2017

Presented "Teaching Transactional Drafting in the 1L Legal Writing Class" at the Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference, Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Conner School of Law, Phoenix.

Member

Scholarship Development & Outreach Committee, Legal Writing Institute (LWI).​