In this newly updated volume, Moliterno and Lederer take a fresh and innovative look at the subject of law and what law study and the practice of law entail by combining a traditional academic viewpoint with elements of law practice and ethics as it continues to be widely used in orientation and introductory courses. The American legal system can be hard to understand. Going to law school is both difficult and anxiety-producing. Introduction to Law is designed to help in both areas. Written by two highly-experienced legal educators at America's oldest law school, Introduction to Law provides the reader with a written equivalent of William & Mary Law School's famous introductory law school week. Often light-hearted, this useful and pragmatic book combines an innovative introduction to the American legal system with material on how to read and understand court cases and, critically, the lawyer's interaction with the client. All too often, legal texts ignore people, especially the client whose need for legal advice first engages the legal system. The text shows the reader how a lawyer must ascertain facts and goals from a client and then apply what the new lawyer (or law student) has learned about law and its interpretation to solve the client's problem. Revised in 2004 to be fresher, more readable, and more timely in its current events references, Introduction to Law is an ideal book for a soon-to-be law student or for anyone who wants a better understanding of how our legal system and lawyers function. A teacher's manual is available. "... an excellent book ... Different students learn in different ways. Some learn best by reading an abstract analysis ... while others learn best by studying examples. [The authors have created] a range of materials that will appeal to various types of students ... I especially enjoyed the [teacher's manual's] transcripts of class discussions. This is an innovative technique that gives tremendous food for thought." (on the first edition) - Roy D. Simon, Hofstra University School of Law

Designed to teach the basics needed to prepare students for any role in the legal system, Law and the Legal System engages students through the use of examples and practical applications of legal principles. Whether they are interested in pursuing legal careers as lawyers or paralegals, or political science careers, or criminal justice interests, students are provided a basic understanding of the law and how to find it. Mock trial experiences are encouraged, and each chapter involves the student in exercises that review understanding of legal terms and concepts. Six cases in an appendix illustrate basic concepts, and hypothetical cases showcase the inner workings of the judicial system in both criminal and civil cases. Internet sources, key terms, case excerpts, research assignments, review exercises and discussion questions help students reinforce the key concepts in each chapter, and suggested activities engage students in discovery projects. Thoroughly updated, the revised Third Edition expands coverage with new chapters on Legal Research and Writing, Tort Law, Contract Law, Family Law, Employment Law, and Equal Protection Law. Careful updating of information throughout the book includes refreshed Internet references to the text. Hallmark features of An Introduction to Law and Legal Studies in the United States: Solid overview of the system of law and government Readability, accessibility Provides the basics for any role in the legal system lawyer or paralegal career political science or criminal justice work Practical applications to engage students with legal principles mock trial experiences encouraged chapter exercises review legal terms and concepts activities engage students in discovery projects Five part structure, comprehensive coverage Basic Legal Concepts Substantive Civil Law Civil Law Procedure Criminal Law Procedure Administrative Due Process Six cases illustrate major basic concepts Explains difficult legal concepts in a reader-friendly format Hypothetical cases reveal workings of judicial system in both criminal and civil cases Differentiates civil, criminal, and administrative due process Discusses history as well as contemporary state of law and current controversies Pedagogically rich Internet sources key terms case excerpts research assignments review exercises discussion questions Thoroughly updated, the revised Third Edition presents: New chapters Legal Research and Writing Tort Law Contract Law Family Law Employment Law Equal Protection Law Updated Internet references New material, brought completely up-to-date

For both the law student and young lawyer, this guide provides an introduction to the basics of working in a law firm. It discusses how a lawyer can get around within the firm to succeed in law firm practice.

Now in its Third Edition, An Introduction to Law and Legal Reasoning continues to be the ideal go-to for the first year law student. It is a short, practical book that introduces beginning law students and others to contemporary law and legal reasoning. By presenting these topics through various discussions of cases and examples, it provides students with a solid source to reference for years to come.

When Kenneth J. Vandevelde’s Thinking Like a Lawyer first published, it became an instant classic, considered by many to be the gold standard introduction to legal reasoning. In this long-awaited second edition, intended for fans of the original and a new generation of lawyers, Vandevelde expands his classic work with useful revisions and updates throughout. Law students, law professors, and lawyers frequently refer to the process of “thinking like a lawyer,” but attempts to analyze in any systematic way what is meant by that phrase are rare. Vandevelde defines this elusive phrase and identifies the techniques involved in thinking like a lawyer. Unlike most legal writings, plagued by difficult, virtually incomprehensible language, Vandevelde’s work is accessible and clearly written. The second edition features new sections on the legislative process—describing step-by-step how legislation is enacted—and the judicial process—describing step-by-step how a case is litigated in court. Other new sections address the significance of dissenting and concurring opinions as well as the role of cognitive bias in factual determinations and on persuading a jury, on burdens of proof, and on presumptions. A new chapter provides contemporary perspectives on legal reasoning, which includes new material on feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and the economics of law. A new appendix is intended for prospective law students, explaining how readers can use the techniques in the book to help them excel in law school. Vandevelde’s Thinking Like a Lawyer will help students, lawyers, and lay readers alike gain important insight into a well-developed and valuable way of thinking. Professors and students will find the book useful in almost any introductory law course at the graduate level and in advanced undergraduate courses on law.

A revision of Neumann's very successful basic legal writing text, this edition continues to give a strong foundation in legal analysis and to writing while refining and further improving the text based on user's responses. The text focuses on constructing a proof of a conclusion of law and teaches format, style, and grammar alongside the reasoning skills. (Chapter 9, How to Organize Proof of a Conclusion of Law, Is widely regarded as the best explanation of this topic in any legal writing text). The goal is to help students learn how to make writing decisions based on the need to prove analysis. Of special interest are chapters on client interviewing and client letters, sample client letters, An updated citation/quotation chapter to reflect changes in the 16th Edition of the Blue Book, sections that show students how to convert their raw materials into an organized first draft, and explanations on the process of writing - in detail and in many contexts. Combining clear, readable text with effective sample documents and exercises, Neumann has succeeded in creating a sophisticated, yet accessible, text carefully crafted for beginning legal writers. Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments PART I: INTRODUCTION TO LAW AND ITS STUDY 1: An Introduction to American Law 1.1 the Origin of Common Law 1.2 How American Courts Are Organized 1.3 an Overview of the Litigation Process 1.4 the Importance of Understanding Procedure 1.5 the Adversary System 2: Rule-Based Reasoning 2.1 the Inner Structure of a Rule 2.2 Organizing the Application of a Rule 2.3 Some Things to Be Careful About with Rules 2.4 Causes of Action and Affirmative Defenses 2.5 Where Rules Come From (Sources of Law) 3: An Introduction to Judicial Opinions 3.1 the Anatomy of an Opinion 3.2 the Interdependence Among Facts, Issues, and Rules 4: Briefing Cases 4.1 Introduction 4.2 How to Brief a Case PART II: INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL WRITING 5: The Art of Legal Writing 5.1 the Language as a Professional Tool 5.2 Your Writing and Your Career 5.3 Predictive Writing and Persuasive Writing 5.4 the Art Forms of Legal Writing 6: The Process of Writing 6.1 Writing in Four Stages 6.2 Analyzing 6.3 Organizing 6.4 the First Draft 6.5 Rewriting 6.6 Some General Advice about Writing PART III: OFFICE MEMORANDA 7: Office Memoranda 7.1 Office Memorandum Format 7.2 Writing an Office Memorandum 8: Initially Obtaining the Facts: Client Interviewing 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Lawyers and Clients 8.3 How to Interview 9:Predictive Writing 9.1 How to Predict 9.2 How to Test Your Writing for Predictiveness 10: How to Organize Proof of a Conclusion of Law 10.1 A Paradigm for Structuring Proof 10.2 Why Readers Prefer This Type of Organization 10.3 How to Vary the Paradigm to Suit Your Needs 10.4 How to Start Working with the Paradigm 10.5 How to Test Your Writing for Effective Organization 11: Selecting Authority 11.1 Introduction 11.2 the Hierarchy of Authority 11.3 How Courts Use Dicta 11.4 How Courts React to Foreign Precedent 11.5 How to Use Foreign Precedent and Other Nonmandatory Authority to Fill a Gap in Local Law 11.6 How to Select Nonmandatory Precedent 11.7 How to Work Effectively in the Library 12: Working with Precedent 12.1 Eight Skills for Working with Precedent 12.2 Formulating a Variety of Rules from the Same Precedent 12.3 Analogizing and Distinguishing 12.4 Eliciting Policy from Precedent 12.5 Synthesis and Reconciliation 12.6 Testing for Realism and Marketability 12.7 Pulling it All Together 13: Working with Statutes 13.1 Ten Tools of Statutory Interpretation 13.2 How to Pull Together Statutory Analysis (Before

For as long as legal writing courses have existed, students have been given large quantities of information all at once. They are then expected to digest it in one large gulp and to "do it." The Lawyer's Craft takes a different approach. The authors of this innovative book take the specific skills required to write a memo or brief and divided them into discrete "building blocks" that can be more easily absorbed by students. The approach to drafting legal documents is highly structured to enable students to see how different parts fit together. Memos and briefs are divided into parts and organized into a required format. The format also provides students with a checklist to consult when constructing legal documents. The Lawyer's Craft recognizes that skills must be practiced to be learned. No matter how carefully students read the text and discuss it in class, they will not be able to learn the material until they actually put it to work. For this reason, The Lawyer's Craft includes numerous examples and exercises. The level of difficulty of the examples and exercises is gradually increased, allowing students to master the basics before moving on to nuances and exceptions. A Teacher's Manual is available to professors.

This book provides an introduction to the American legal system for a broad readership. Its focus is on law in practice, on the role of the law in American society; and how the social context affects the living law of the United States. It covers the institutions of law creation and application, law in American government, American legal culture and the legal profession, American criminal and civil justice, and civil rights. Clearly written, the book has been widely used in both undergraduate and graduate courses as an introduction to the legal system; it will be useful, too, to a general audience interested in understanding how this vital social system works. This new edition follows the same basic structure as applied in the previous editions providing a thorough revision and reworking of the text. This edition reflects upon what has happened in the years since the second edition was published in 1998, and how these events and evolutions have shaped our fundamental comprehension of the workings of the American legal system today.