Learning Legal Rules A Student's Guide to Legal Method and Reasoning

Published

2003

Publisher

Oxford University Press

ISBN-13

9780199254828

ISBN-10

0199254826

Pages

349

Format

Paperback

Language

English

Among the many new skills law students have to acquire, using legal method and solving legal problems are possibly the most important. Yet all too often these legal skills are ignored, and it is assumed that students will acquire them as they progress through their course.The authors of Learning Legal Rules bring together the theory, structure, and practice of legal reasoning in a readily accessible style. The book explains how to uncover and exploit the mysteries of legal materials. This is then used to draw the student into the techniques of legal analysis andargument and the operation of precedent and statutory interpretation. Throughout the book the authors also examine the permeating influence of EC Law and the legal method employed by Continental legal systems.The fifth edition has been extensively rewritten and reorganized to ensure that it continues to fit the needs of today's law students. It contains more guidance on interpreting statutes, an extended introductory chapter 1 on "What is Law?", and new material on the Human Rights Act. It has alsobeen given a new clear text design and layout that incorporates new chapter headings and paragraph headings; summaries of the key points of each chapter; boxed questions at the end of each chapter; more diagrams, especially in the chapters on reasoning, to aid visual learners; and a main table ofcontents. It also contains a new Companion Website containing key questions and guidance on how to answer them, diagrams, useful legal abbreviations and annotated web links.