The Second Case in the World; Legal Analysis Made Simple; Thoughts on Stare Decisis, Relative Value and Ethics; Studying Lass: Looking Busy is Not Enough; Reading Cases; Briefing Cases; General Study Tips; Writing Lass' Exams: The Only Skill Worth Having; More Stuff on Exams; Fear and Loathing in the First Year; Pretrial Process; Trials; Legal Argument (Moot Court); Mechanics of Oral Argument; Legal Research: High Drama in Dull Places; Legal Writing; Second and Third Years; Career Choices; Lawyers Talk About What They Do.

This unique book is designed to introduce non-lawyers to what law is and how it is interpreted and made, and to prepare prospective law students for law school. Although primarily intended for those interested in going to law school, it is also very useful for those who simply want a working knowledge of how the American legal system actually works. The text is highly pragmatic, helping the reader understand not just theory but the realities of how law works and what lawyers actually do to assist clients in the real world. To that end, it contains a sample legal problem along with the necessary legal materials to address it and an illustrative answer.

Research and real-life examples that “lucidly connect some of the divisive social issues confronting us today to that thing we call ‘the law’” (Law and Politics Book Review). Law and society is a rapidly growing field that turns the conventional view of law as mythical abstraction on its head. Kitty Calavita brilliantly brings to life the ways in which law is found not only in statutes and courtrooms but in our institutions and interactions, while inviting readers into conversations that introduce the field’s dominant themes and most lively disagreements. Deftly interweaving scholarship with familiar examples, Calavita shows how scholars in the discipline are collectively engaged in a subversive exposé of law’s public mythology. While surveying prominent issues and distinctive approaches to both law as it is written and actual legal practices, as well as the law’s potential as a tool for social change, this volume provides a view of law that is more real but just as compelling as its mythic counterpart. With this second edition of Invitation to Law and Society, Calavita brings up to date what is arguably the leading introduction to this exciting, evolving field of inquiry and adds a new chapter on the growing law and cultural studies movement. “Entertaining and conversational.” —Law and Social Inquiry

This newly updated volume takes a fresh, innovative look at the subject of law and what law study and the practice of law entail. Moliterno and Lederer's book, which combines a traditional academic viewpoint with elements of law practice and ethics, 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, 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 2010 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. "... 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." -- Roy D. Simon, Hofstra University School of Law, on the first edition

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.