Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students (Aspen Coursebook Series)

Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students, Fifth Edition, helps international students understand and approach legal reasoning and writing the way law students and attorneys do in the United States. With concise and clear text, Professor Nedzel introduces the unique and important features of the American legal system and American law schools. Using clear instruction, examples, visual aids, and practice exercises, she teaches practical lawyering skills with sensitivity to the challenges of ESL students.

New to the Fifth Edition:

• Streamlined presentation makes the material even more accessible. Chapters are short, direct, and to the point.
• Five chapters on reasoning and writing, including exam skills, office memos, and rewriting.
• Full chapters on contract drafting and scholarly writing.
• New flowcharts provide a concise, visual overview for each chapter.
• Citation coverage updated to new 21st edition of The Bluebook.
• Simplified examples and exercises.
• Three thoroughly revised chapters on legal research, including non-fee legal research and technological changes in the practice of U.S. law.

Professors and student will benefit from:

• Comparative perspective informs readers about the unique features of American law as compared to civil law, Islamic law, and Asian traditions.
• Explanations of practical skills assume no former knowledge of the American legal system.
• U.S. law school necessary skills explained immediately: case briefing, creating a course outline, time management, reading citations, and writing answers to hypothetical exam questions.
• Short, lucid chapters that reiterate major points to aid comprehension.
• Clear introductions to writing hypothetical-based exams, legal memoranda, contract drafting and scholarly writing.
• An integrated approach to proper citation format, with explanation and instruction provided in context.
• Discussion of plagiarism and U.S. law school honor codes.
• Practical skill-building exercises in each chapter.
• Research exercises are primarily Internet-based
• Charts and summaries that are useful learning aids and reference tools