Cracking the Case Method is a concise and down-to-earth guide to
the intellectual content of law school instruction, particularly in
the first year. Readers will discover why and how law school
instructors use appellate court cases as vehicles for teaching
legal analysis. This book explains that legal analysis is a process
by which judges and lawyers use argument (or rhetoric) to connect
stories to legal conclusions, and reveals how to read judges'
appellate court opinions as arguments rather than merely as sources
of rules. To succeed in law school, students have to apply
analytical skills to novel stories by crafting arguments of their
own, both in class meetings and when answering final examination
essay questions. This book promotes readers' ability to apply
analytical skills by:.Demonstrating how to "brief" cases
in a way that captures both arguments and rules;.Explaining and
illustrating common types of arguments;.Using actual law school
classroom dialogues annotated by the authors to explain how
instructors use classes to further law schools' goal of
teaching argument skills;.Setting forth effective final examination
preparation strategies and techniques for crafting answers that
demonstrate analytical skills; and.Illustrating final exam
strategies and techniques by providing actual law school final
examination questions followed by model answers annotated by the
authors. The subjects that readers will study in law school
(whether rules of contracts or processes such as jury trials) all
emanate from the Common Law Tradition. To further enhance
readers' analytical understanding and skills, the book
concludes with a chapter that provides a brief and colorful
overview of this rich and fascinating tradition. The chapter
includes comparisons to the common law tradition's Civil Law
counterparts, enhancing the book's value to all readers.. If
you want to achieve academic success in law school, this book
provides you with the tools you need to Crack the Case Method.
Reviews:"Law school study fundamentally differs from
university study. Most first year law students therefore find the
transition from college to law school difficult and bumpy. This
book explains the differences and gives a thorough guide to what it
takes to do well in law school, especially during that crucial
first year. Students who want a significant edge over their
classmates will read it before the first day of 1L. I wish I
had."Alex KozinskiChief Judge of the United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit"The Authors provide an
accessible and often humorous guide to the Case Method. In addition
to demystifying legal studies for the new student, the book
provides a sound foundation for the future practitioner; the object
of the Case Method, in the main, is to allow the application of
legal principles to help clients resolve their problems."
Hector G. GallegosPartner and Head of Morrison & Foerster
LLP's Los Angeles Litigation Department "Legal education
and the legal profession are in the midst of a profound
restructuring brought on by a revolution in technology and dramatic
changes in the economy. In the midst of such change, Cracking the
Case Method is a critically important work that will help all law
students develop a lawyer's most important tool - using the
venerable case method to carry out legal analysis and to hone their
analytical skills - the essence of every lawyer's work.
Cracking the Case Method is not an abstract academic exercise, but
a nuts and bolts, how to approach to analysis that will train
better lawyers and promote just results in our judicial system. The
case method may be over 100 years old but how to use it as an
effective tool for good lawyering has never been done like it is in
these pages." Jeffrey S. BrandDean and Professor of
LawUniversity of San Francisco School of Law
