Cracking the Case Method, Legal Analysis for Law School Success

by Paul Bergman, Patrick Goodman, Thomas Holm

For about 150 years, law schools have relied on the Case Method to teach the skills and art of legal analysis to first-year law students. Yet many students struggle academically, not due to lack of intellectual ability but because they are suddenly immersed in a unique and seemingly opaque educational process without receiving any explanation of what they should be trying to learn, much less how to learn it. Why do reading assignments consist of appellate court opinions? Why do professors rely on the Socratic Method? Why do law school classes so often leave students with more questions than answers? What do instructors look for when grading answers to essay exams? Why can law students know “all the rules,” yet get poor grades?

Cracking the Case Method, 2d ed., provides concise and down-to-earth information on how to succeed in law school by answering these questions and many others. Students need to know what to study and how the opinions they read and class meetings relate to law school exams. This book provides an in-depth examination of these critical topics:
The Case Method and its relationship to Socratic-style questioning and effective legal analysis. Semester-long strategies for learning how to “think like a lawyer” by getting the most out of reading opinions, attending classes, outlining, and preparing effectively for exams. How to read cases with a focus on legal issues, legal principles, and judges’ rationales for adopting and applying those principles. How to prepare case briefs and use them to prepare for class. The major types of legal argument, with many illustrations drawn from actual cases. Using class discussions as opportunities to practice legal analysis, based on annotated excerpts from actual first-year class discussions. Preparing for exams by outlining course materials and practicing exam-taking skills. An approach for analyzing exam questions and writing effective exam answers that display legal analytical skills, with illustrations drawn from actual essay exam questions and annotated answers.
This book provides indispensable information to anybody who is considering applying to law school, preparing for his or her 1L year, or who currently is in law school.

Genres: Law

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2012

Reviews

[Cold Brew Reads]

One time the authors declare "atoms are composed of individual molecules." Otherwise it's good.

[Adrian Halpert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good introductory to legal analysis required for law school and beyond. It's designed for 1L's, but has some good analytical tips and strategies that can be useful to review at any point in law school.
As the title suggests, this book breaks down the case method of studying law. Starting with the abstract concepts represented in case law, it moves into analyzing the legal issues, methods of argument, how case law is organized and represenetd in textbooks, finishing on the more practical side by looing at exam and classroom strategies. (That said, many cases are organized in this way! I love it!)
The analytical process described here is illustrated though real cases and detailed examples of applicaiton of case law to exam fact patterns and classroom discussions.
Learning to think like a laweyer can be challenging, and I highly recommend this book as a good entry point.
4/5 Stars

[Cem Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing law school reading before 1L started. I'm sure I will revisit the book a couple weeks into the semester.

[Ryan]

Seems fairly useful, but I guess I won't know until classes start

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started law school. That is all for this one.

[Claire Bartholomew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A law school study guide. As boring as it sounds, but hopefully useful??? Only time will tell.