Part II Skills Youll Need

Cyrill: Claire you know what I want to study law school?

Claire: Oh really? I also planning to study law Cy

Cyrill : Wow! Thatss good to hear did you already read the book where it made
mentioned about skill and work youll to in law school?

Claire: Hmm Yes Distilling the law- organizing large quantities of information into well
articulate and useable form. In Legal Propositions we must remember the Black Latter Law
where is the legal rule or doctrine. Legal Proposition include facts where not just restating the
rule but knowing how to apply in the given facts. Many legal propositions arent law they are
vague and flexible standards. Where rules are clear and standards are vague. Some
propositions that we study turned out to be good law and some are bad law. Sometimes we
study old rules to see how the law has changed. In an instance proposition of theory and policy
where they are ideas coming from different fields which overlap the study of law.

Cyril : Oh hahha really what a coincidence I also read that book where it states that Good
Distilling require you 4 things: First, You have to compose the proposition in your own words,
paraphrasing gets you stared. Second, to test your understanding you have to apply your
propositions in a new set of facts. Third, put the proposition in a context and see how it fits into
the course as a whole. And Fourth, disregard the propositions that dont matter. You can only
indentify which propositions are relevant unless you see the big picture.

Claire: Well, it mentioned about three kind of issue 1.) Issue spotting begins with identifying
all the propositions that are relevant to some aspects of facts. 2) Interpret the proposition to see
the questions that might be asked about what they mean 3) Lastly is to apply each proposition
to the fact pattern. And the shortcuts of issue spotting are first, focus on the part that confuses
you or you dont understand. This probably signals that theres an issue to be explored. Focus
on whats new its another way to find an issue. Lastly, unquestioned assumption is an
unspotted issue.

Cyril: Arguments is also what we learn in law school. 1) Argument about the text itself refers to
the plain meaning, clearly support one interpretation or another. 2)This arguments is about the
intent behind the text: what did the legislators who enacted the statute or the parties who
drafted a contract or the famers of a constitution intent that it mean. 3) The purpose of the text,
assume that every legal text is designed to accomplish something. To make an argument about
purpose, figure out what that purpose was, then claim that your interpretation is more consistent
with the purpose.
Claire: Another kind of arguments is about precedents, in this we argue about judicial opinion.
Another is policy argument it about what the law should be. The first kind o policy argument
deals with the consequences of the given ruling. Another would be arguments about facts
where it involves how facts should be handled. Rules of evidence is to make sure the the
judicial system takes account of certain facts. Others involved burden of proof and
presumptions.

----- Work youll do

Through reading we develop the skill of distilling the law- its the only way to get through them.
Sorting through all the materials in a case will get easier with practice, but at fort youll want to
use of crutch called a brief case to help find your way. It a practice summarizing the case
tersely. If youre falling behind its practice to use briefcase youll find but when you have the
luxury of time it preferable to read cases on full text.

Speaking in class

1. Getting better at legal reasoning

2. Learn the limits of legal reasoning.
3. Get confident
4. Learn to draw other peoples judgement
5. Train your instincts
6. Get a better since of your professional identity
7. Build Relationships with professor.

Listening in Class- helps you see which proposition matters and dont matter. If the professor
talks about proposition in class that note of the because she probably thinks it important
enough.