Case Analysis and Fundamentals of Legal Writing / Edition 4

by William P. Statsky, Jr., R. John Wernet, Statsky

Overview

This popular paralegal-specific text introduces the skills of reading and analyzing court opinions. It focuses on briefing cases and applying case law in legal memoranda and advocacy letters. This is a major revision with new cases and expanded writing chapters. ALSO AVAILABLE INSTRUCTOR SUPPLEMENTS CALL CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO ORDER Instructors Manual, ISBN: 0-314-46555-3

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780314040183
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	08/25/1994
Series:	Paralegal Series
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

William Statsky has been is a member of the ethics committee and the advisory council for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations and a member of the Certifying Board of the National Association of Legal Assistants. He has taught at Columbia Law School, UCLA School of Law, Antioch School of Law and Thomas Edison State College and is the author of numerous groundbreaking legal textbooks for paralegals. He was a member of the transition team for then-President-Elect Ronald Reagan. Mr. Statsky holds a master of law degree (LL.M.) in urban affairs as well as a juris doctorate degree (J.D.).

Table of Contents

PART I: HOW TO BRIEF AN OPINION: Introduction to Court Opinions and the Legal System. Introduction to Briefing. Identifying the Parties. Identifying the Objectives and Theories of the Parties. Identifying the History of the Litigation. introduction to Identifying Key Facts. Identifying Issues and Holdings. Identifying the Reasoning. Dictum, Disposition, and Commentary on an Opinion. A Composite Brief. PART II: THE APPLICATION OF COURT OPINIONS: Fact Comparison in the Application of Case Law: Fact Similarities, Fact Differences, and Fact Gaps. Rule-of-Law Comparison. Factors Determining the Length and Comprehensiveness of Case Analysis. Primary and Secondary Authority: Their use and Abuse in legal Writing. Using and Abusing Legislative History in Legal Writing. Writing the Memorandum of Law. Letter Writing and Case Analysis. The Appelatte Brief. clarity in Legal Writing. APPENDICES: Opinions to be Used for Some of the Assignments. Suggested Responses to the Practice Assignments. Overview of Civil and Criminal Litigation. Citations in Legal Writing. Quotation Marks, Brackets, and Ellipsis Dots. Usage Rules and Guidelines From A to Z. Proofreader's Marks. Glossary. INDEX.