In my dissertation, I cross disciplines to develop practical tools for guiding effective L2 writing (and instruction) in the genre of scholarly legal writing for international legal studiesthe subjects' chosen field of graduate study. Tools for learning and teaching scholarly L2 writing that are firmly grounded in research are needed to provide best practices for enhancing international student performance. The theoretical framework views scholarly L2 legal writing as developmental learning in two domains (language and law) and as socialized cultural practice. The research purpose is to discern dynamic factors that influence strategic competence and professional proficiency (or higher) in scholarly L2 legal writing. Exploring L2 learners' scholarly writing strategies in domain context, beyond basic and freshman English composition, is necessary because of the expansion of L2 instruction to academic and content-area literacy in U.S. schools (Connor, 1996) and in research universities around the world offering advanced academic writing courses for L2 doctoral students and faculty (Swales & Feak, 2000). In addition, the lack of knowledge about how to develop high levels of proficiency in foreign languages has been seen as a deficit in the United States, and experience teaching at/to these levels is rare (http://www.distinguishedlanguagecenters.org/).