Cracking the case method : legal analysis for law school success / Paul Bergman, Patrick Goodman, Thomas Holm.
2012
KF283 .B37 2012 (Map It)
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Details
Author
Title
Cracking the case method : legal analysis for law school success / Paul Bergman, Patrick Goodman, Thomas Holm.
Published
Lake Mary, Fla. : Vandeplas Publishing, [2012]
Copyright
©2012
Call Number
KF283 .B37 2012
ISBN
9781600421594
1600421598
1600421598
Description
xii, 189 pages ; 25 cm
System Control No.
(OCoLC)796084065
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references.
Record Appears in
Portion of Title
Legal analysis for law school success
Added Author
Table of Contents
Introduction
xi
ch. 1
The Case Method and Its Myths
1
1.
Welcome to the Club
1
2.
The Case Method and Legal Analysis
1
3.
The Case Method and Abstract Legal Concepts
3
4.
Argumentative Opinions
5
5.
The Case Method and the Socratic Method
6
6.
Thinking Like an Appellate Court Lawyer
7
7.
The Case Method and Morality
8
8.
Case Method Myths
8
A.
Instructors downgrade final exam answers that reach "wrong" conclusions
9
B.
Instructors hide the ball
9
C.
Memorize rules and you'll ace law school exams
10
D.
Law school requires you to think in entirely new ways
11
E.
Holdings have fixed meanings
12
9.
Conclusion: Assessing the Legitimacy of the Case Method
14
ch. 2
Legal Issues
17
1.
Talking Points
17
2.
The Basic Formula: Legal Principle + Factual Circumstances = Legal Issue
18
3.
Element-Centered Legal Issues
19
4.
Multiple Legal Issues
20
5.
Surfacing "Hidden" Legal Issues
21
6.
Rhetorical Legal Issues
22
7.
Doctrinal and Application Legal Issues
25
8.
Substantive and Procedural Legal Issues
27
9.
Tailored Legal Issues
28
10.
Identifying Legal Issues in Appellate Court Opinions
29
11.
Legal Issues and Final Examinations
29
ch. 3
Common Argument Strategies
33
1.
The Rhetoric of Everyday Experience
33
2.
The Vast Spectrum of Source Material
34
3.
Precedential Arguments
35
4.
Consequentialist Arguments
38
5.
Analogical Arguments
41
6.
Social Policy Arguments
44
7.
Inferential Arguments
46
8.
Slippery Slope Arguments
48
9.
Historical Arguments
49
10.
Linguistic Arguments
50
11.
Sure-Fire Losing Rhetorical Strategies
52
ch. 4
Sources of Law
55
1.
"Though This Be Madness, Yet There Is Method In't"
55
2.
The United States Constitution
56
3.
Federal Law
58
A.
Federal Statutes
58
B.
Federal Regulations
59
C.
Federal Judicial Opinions
60
4.
State Law
61
5.
Judicial Hierarchies
62
6.
Hierarchies of Law and Final Examinations
63
ch. 5
Casebooks
65
1.
Anatomy of an Appellate Court Case
65
2.
Case Selection
68
3.
Order in the Court's Opinion
69
4.
Where Have All the Lawyers Gone?
69
5.
Case Notes
70
6.
Secondary Authorities
71
7.
Tables of Contents
72
8.
Old Chestnuts
72
9.
Outliers
73
10.
Well-Known Judges
73
11.
The Cadaver Method?
74
ch. 6
Briefing Cases
75
1.
Rhetorical Case Briefs
75
2.
Why Brief Cases?
76
3.
The Anatomy of a Case Brief
77
A.
Case Name
77
B.
Facts
78
C.
Procedural History
79
D.
Legal Issues
79
E.
Holding
80
F.
Reasoning (Arguments)
81
G.
Disposition
81
H.
Comments
81
I.
A Concluding Note on Format
82
4.
A Formal Case Brief Example
82
A.
Sample Case
84
B.
Sample Brief
86
C.
Longer May Not = Better
87
ch. 7
Rhetorical Class Discussions
89
1.
Legal Theory- Breach of Contract; Disputed Legal Issue- Formation
90
2.
Legal Theory- Contract Formation; Disputed Legal Issue-Consideration
93
3.
Legal Theory- Negligence; Disputed Legal Issue- Causation
94
4.
Legal Theory- Contract Formation; Disputed Legal Issue-Consideration
99
5.
Legal Theory- Pre-nuptial Agreements; Disputed Legal Issue-Validity of a Spousal Support Waiver
100
ch. 8
Final Exam Strategies
107
1.
The Core Tasks: Theory Spotting, Issue Spotting and Arguing
107
2.
Theory Spotting
108
3.
Elements of Legal Theories
111
4.
Legal Issues
112
5.
Argument
112
A.
IRAC: An Argument Paradigm
113
B.
Your Audience
113
6.
Applying IRAC Effectively
113
A.
IRAC: Issues
114
B.
IRAC: Rules
115
C.
IRAC: Arguments
117
D.
IRAC: Conclusions
122
E.
Multiple IRAC's
122
7.
Exam-Taking Strategies
122
A.
Read the Exam Question (aka "the Prompt") Before Reading the Story
122
B.
Read Stories at Least Twice
123
C.
Adhere to Time Allocations
123
D.
Analyze All Issues
124
E.
Perform "Issue Triage"
125
F.
Outline Answers Before Beginning to Write
126
G.
Provide Headings
126
H.
Avoid the "Everything You Learned" Pitfall
127
I.
Avoid Elegant Variation
127
8.
"Pure Policy" Questions
127
9.
Preparation Strategies
129
ch. 9
Sample Contracts Final Examination Essay Question and Annotated Answer
131
ch. 10
Sample Constitutional Law Final Examination Essay Question and Annotated Answer
143
ch. 11
The Common Law Tradition (with Civil Law Comparisons)
163
1.
What Made the Common Law "Common?"
164
2.
The Writ System
166
3.
Examples of Common Law Writs
170
4.
Year Books and Other Law Reports
174
5.
The Jury Trial
175
6.
Legal Fictions
179
7.
Chancery and Equity
181
8.
Common Law Rhetoric
185
9.
The Common Law Tradition in an Age of Constitutions, Statutes and Regulations
187