Legal Reasoning Case Files

This text provides real-world case files designed to reinforce foundational legal reasoning skills. Students work through practical problems, each of which is set in the context of a different basic law school subject. Commentary throughout the text guides students toward more sophisticated comprehension of the factual and legal materials, and more nuanced legal analysis, all while introducing common forms of practice-based writing. Each chapter then takes the rules introduced in the case file and illustrates ways they might be applied to an essay examination question and multiple-choice question. Additional practice questions and suggestions for classroom exercises are included in the extensive accompanying teacher's manual.

This workbook, designed to accompany any legal writing text, provides a step-by-step approach to objective and persuasive legal writing. It draws upon three case files to instruct students on the essential components of an objective memorandum and a persuasive brief. Each case file begins with a fact pattern and relevant legal authority, followed by a series of worksheets covering the essential components of an objective memorandum and a persuasive brief. Each worksheet includes brainstorming questions and writing formulas to allow students to master an approach to legal writing they can use throughout their careers.

Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students, Fifth Edition, helps international students understand and approach legal reasoning and writing the way law students and attorneys do in the United States. With concise and clear text, Professor Nedzel introduces the unique and important features of the American legal system and American law schools. Using clear instruction, examples, visual aids, and practice exercises, she teaches practical lawyering skills with sensitivity to the challenges of ESL students. New to the Fifth Edition: Streamlined presentation makes the material even more accessible. Chapters are short, direct, and to the point. Five chapters on reasoning and writing, including exam skills, office memos, and rewriting. Full chapters on contract drafting and scholarly writing. New flowcharts provide a concise, visual overview for each chapter. Citation coverage updated to new 21st edition of The Bluebook. Simplified examples and exercises. Three thoroughly revised chapters on legal research, including non-fee legal research and technological changes in the practice of U.S. law. Professors and student will benefit from: Comparative perspective informs readers about the unique features of American law as compared to civil law, Islamic law, and Asian traditions. Explanations of practical skills assume no former knowledge of the American legal system. U.S. law school necessary skills explained immediately: case briefing, creating a course outline, time management, reading citations, and writing answers to hypothetical exam questions. Short, lucid chapters that reiterate major points to aid comprehension. Clear introductions to writing hypothetical-based exams, legal memoranda, contract drafting and scholarly writing. An integrated approach to proper citation format, with explanation and instruction provided in context. Discussion of plagiarism and U.S. law school honor codes. Practical skill-building exercises in each chapter. Research exercises are primarily Internet-based Charts and summaries that are useful learning aids and reference tools

Preparing for Practice is a fresh approach to the 1L first semester legal writing and research course, designed to guide students through their development of the essential skills needed to master the MPT section of the bar exam and learn legal analysis and writing from a practice perspective. The coursebook combines practice-oriented case files with theoretical content, eliminating the need for professors to create their own case files.

Understanding legal rules not as determinants of behavior but as points of reference for conduct, this volume considers the ways in which rules are invoked, referred to, interpreted, put forward or blurred. It also asks how both legal practitioners and lay participants conceive of and participate in the construction of facts and rules, and thus, through decisions, defenses, pleas, files, evidence, interviews and documents, actively participate in law’s life. With attention to the formulation of notions such as person, evidence, intention, cause and responsibility in the course of legal practices, Legal Rules in Practice provides the outlines of a praxiological anthropology of law – an anthropology that focuses on words, concepts and reasoning as actively used to solve conflicts with the help of legal rules. As such, it will appeal to sociologists, anthropologists and scholars of law with interests in ethnomethodology, rule-based conduct and practical reasoning.

A thoughtful new edition of the leading Introduction to Law for Paralegals text Introduction to Law for Paralegals: A Critical Thinking Approach explores high-interest topics and cases within the framework of the authors' acclaimed critical thinking approach. Hypotheticals, examples, and incisive questions shed light on both the principle and application of the law. In a thoroughly updated new edition, this leading text in the field continues to provide innovation and excellence. New to the Eighth Edition: Updated with changes in the law, new NetNotes, and additional Discussion Questions and Legal Reasoning Exercises. Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure are now directly after the chapter on Torts so that instructors can better compare and contrast civil litigation and criminal law. Streamlined chapter introducing the Study of Law and the Paralegal Profession. Professors and students will benefit from: Comprehensive coverage of key legal concepts. Hypotheticals, questions, and exercises that engage students in critical thinking. A logical three-part organization: Part I, Paralegals and the American Legal System; Part II, Finding and Analyzing the Law and Part III, Legal Ethics and Substantive Law. Student-friendly skill development for basic statutory and case analysis. Text is readable without talking down to students. Structure of chapters ensures that students understand and learn the material. Ethics Alerts, marginal definitions, Internet references, and legal reasoning exercises. Appendices on writing style and citation, the U.S. Constitution, Ethical Codes, and additional Net Notes.