Thinking Critically About Law

So you’ve arrived at university, you’ve read the course handbook and you’re ready to learn the law. But is knowing the law enough to get you the very best marks? And what do your lecturers mean when they say you need to develop critical and analytical skills? When is it right to put your own views forward? What are examiners looking for when they give feedback to say that your work is too descriptive? This book explores what it means to think critically and offers practical tips and advice for students to develop the process, skill and ability of thinking critically while studying law. The book investigates the big questions such as: What is law? and What is ‘thinking critically’? How can I use critical thinking to get better grades in assessments? What is the role of critical thinking in the work place? These questions and more are explored in Thinking Critically About Law. Whether you have limited prior experience of critical thinking or are looking to improve your performance in assessments, this book is the ideal tool to help you enhance your capacity to question, challenge, reflect and problematize what you learn about the law throughout your studies and beyond.

To view a sample of the Case File, Assessments, and Materials ("CAM") Supplement, click here. The full 302-page supplement, along with a Dropbox folder of working spreadsheets and other classroom materials, is available to professors upon adoption of this book. ACTLA is a comprehensive research-based curriculum designed to optimize students' legal learning and problem-solving skills for improved educational outcomes. Consisting of a student text, a supplement containing all required case files, assessments, and materials, and a teacher's manual, ACTLA provides a turn-key solution that allows any school, regardless of budget or staffing, to leverage limited resources for greater student success. ACTLA is designed for flexibility, and can be delivered as a full course, a series of workshops, or one-on-one study to best suit the unique needs of any institution or student population. If desired, ACTLA can easily be integrated into any doctrinal course. The innovative ACTLA curriculum, backed by nearly a decade of intensive educational research, development, delivery, and assessment, directly addresses the most pressing learning needs of today's students. ACTLA helps students strengthen their skills in critical reading, writing, and analytical thinking, while building the habits of mind associated with top success in the study and practice of law. Students in ACTLA internalize a reliable, systematic approach to legal learning and problem-solving while working through three progressively sophisticated levels of legal problems, assessing their progress, and refining their approach each step of the way. The problem-based curriculum includes an arsenal of research-based tools and strategies to strengthen key legal learning skills, including critical reading, rule formation, synthesis, analysis, exam-taking, self-assessment, and self-regulation. ACTLA emphasizes formative assessment and includes specialized tools to measure learning outcomes, which may assist law schools in complying with the ABA pedagogy mandate.

New Critical Legal Thinking articulates the emergence of a stream of critical legal theory which is directly concerned with the relation between law and the political. The early critical legal studies claim that all law is politics is displaced with a different and more nuanced theoretical arsenal. Combining grand theory with a concern for grounded political interventions, the various contributors to this book draw on political theorists and continental philosophers in order to engage with current legal problematics, such as the recent global economic crisis, the Arab spring and the emergence of biopolitics. The contributions instantiate the claim that a new and radical political legal scholarship has come into being: one which critically interrogates and intervenes in the contemporary relationship between law and power.

"So you’ve arrived at university, you’ve read the course handbook and you’re ready to learn the law. But is knowing the law enough to get you the very best marks? And what do your lecturers mean when they say you need to develop critical and analytical skills? When is it right to put your own views forward? What are examiners looking for when they give feedback to say that your work is too descriptive?This book explores what it means to think critically and offers practical tips and advice for students to develop the process, skill and ability of thinking critically while studying law. The book investigates the big questions such as: What is law? and What is ‘thinking critically’? How can I use critical thinking to get better grades in assessments? What is the role of critical thinking in the work place? These questions and more are explored in Thinking Critically About Law.Whether you have limited prior experience of critical thinking or are looking to improve your performance in assessments, this book is the ideal tool to help you enhance your capacity to question, challenge, reflect and problematize what you learn about the law throughout your studies and beyond."--Provided by publisher.

The latest edition of The Study of Law: A Critical Thinking Approach offers a comprehensive, intelligent overview of all the key concepts covered in a typical introduction to law course. A critical thinking approach is used to introduce students to the study of law, encouraging students to interact with the materials through hypotheticals, examples, and well-designed questions. The text is divided into two parts, reflecting the topics addressed in an introductory course. Part I, Introduction to the Legal System, introduces students to the sources and classification of law, the structure of the court system, and an overview of litigation. Part II: Basic Legal Concepts, covers the basics of analysis and interpretation of the law, followed by chapters on substantive law. Key Features of the New Edition: Teaches students the basic skills necessary to understand statutes and court cases Strong pedagogy reinforces well-written text presented in an accessible and well-organized format Edited cases are included in every chapter to teach students how to read and analyze the law New coverage includes: the Boston Marathon bombing case, the Affordable Care Act, and trademark issues involving the Washington Redskins, e-filing and e-discovery, discussion of same-sex marriage and custody disputes over pre-embryos, and crimes of unauthorized access of computer data and warrantless searches of cell phones

In this comprehensive introduction to law, authors Currier and Eimermann use the highly effective critical thinking approach — encouraging students to engage with the material through hypothetical problems, examples, and thought-provoking questions. Covering all of the key concepts presented in a typical Introduction to Law course, The Study of Law: A Critical thinking Approach, Second Edition, features : an overview of key concepts in American law designed for business, criminal justice, political science, and general education courses a critical thinking approach that involves students in the materials through interactive pedagogy — such as hypotheticals, examples, and well-designed questions a well-written text with excerpts from illustrative cases a logical two-part organization Part I. The Legal System introduces students To The sources and classifications of law, The structure of the court system, and litigation Part II. Basic Principles of American Law introduces students to legal principles that form the basis of constitutional law, torts, contracts, property, business, family, and criminal law coverage of legal reasoning, case briefing, and statutory interpretation appendices including the U.S. Constitution, Fundamentals of Good Writing, and NetNotes Updated throughout, The Second Edition offers : an increased focus on the role and importance of the legal system in the lives of all citizens more coverage of constitutional law — with emphasis on federalism and First Amendment issues new and additional case excerpts an increased emphasis on substantive and theoretical (rather than procedural) issues Specifically designed for introductory law courses in business, criminal justice, political science and general education, The Study of Law: A Critical Thinking Approach, Second Edition, offers the pedagogical richness that fuels class discussion and enriches your teaching.

Critical thinking is essential for lawyers, judges, and law students. Yet law schools have never systematically taught critical thinking to their students. The main purpose of this book is to help law professors teach lawyers, judges, and law students how to become critical thinkers. It first explains critical thinking to professors, and, then, it shows how they can teach this knowledge to students. Lawyers, judges, and law students can also use this book to teach themselves critical thinking.Chapter One introduces the reader to the need for critical thinking in the law, and it will give two methods of evaluating how critical thinking works within legal education. Chapter Two helps the reader understand the basics of critical thinking. Most scholars think that critical thinking is domain specific, so Chapter Three presents the domain of the law. Chapter Four applies critical thinking basics to law's domain, and it shows how to teach critical thinking to lawyers, judges, and law students. Chapter Five shows how critical thinking processes can improve the use of the Socratic method in legal education. Chapter Six discusses how critical thinking can make law professors better teachers. Chapter Seven demonstrates how critical thinking can produce better legal writing professors. Chapter Eight focuses on judges and critical thinking. The final chapter brings everything together and highlights the most important aspects of teaching critical thinking to lawyers, judges, and law students. Two appendices contain sample Socratic dialogues that employ critical thinking. I have included exercises and problems on critical thinking throughout the book.

Proven effective in the classroom, The Study of Law: A Critical Thinking Approach, now in its Fifth Edition, brings real-world perspective to understanding basic legal concepts and the mechanics of the American legal system. The authors’ acclaimed critical thinking approach actively engages students in the process of legal reading, analysis, and critical thinking. The text offers a thorough introduction to core topics and concepts, including sources and classifications of law, the structure of the court system, civil litigation and its alternatives, analyzing and interpreting the law, and substantive law. New to the Fifth Edition: Streamlined with the student in mind. For example, an enhanced explanation of how to brief a case in Chapter 1 (Introduction to the Study of Law), and a clearer discussion of executive orders and memoranda in Chapter 2 (Functions and Sources of Law). Chapter 5 on Civil Litigation and Its Alternatives is edited to focus on the key topics. Updated throughout, including: Chapter 6 (Constitutional Law): Packingham v. North Carolina regarding First Amendment rights as they relate to the internet; Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, addressing the balancing act between giving states the right to legislate for the general public good and the individual right to express religious beliefs; American Legion v. American Humanist Association with examples of how the Supreme Court applies the Lemon test; and an enhanced discussion of the internet and the U.S. Constitution. Chapter 7 (Torts): Contemporary torts related to the #MeToo movement, cyberbullying, and cybertorts. Chapter 9 (Property and Estate Law): Matal v. Tam and expanded discussion of cases related to the Lanham Act. Chapter 10 (Laws Affecting Business): New coverage of public benefit corporations and the Family Medical Leave Act. Chapter 11 (Family Law): expanded discussion of Obergefell v. Hodges; Terrell v. Torres; and new discussion of DNA testing and its impacts on family law. Chapter 12 (Criminal Law): Commonwealth v. Carter Chapter 13 (Criminal Procedure): Mitchell v. Wisconsin regarding blood testing without a warrant; Carpenter v. U.S. regarding use of cell-site locations without a search warrant New co-author, Marisa Campbell, brings her extensive teaching experience to the book. Professors and students will benefit from: Critical thinking approach introduces students to the study of law, encouraging them to interact with the materials through hypothetical scenarios and exercises, realistic examples, discussion questions and legal reasoning exercises. Strong pedagogy reinforces well-written text presented in an accessible and well-organized format. Edited cases in every chapter teach students how to read and analyze the law. Thorough introduction to substantive law, with chapters on torts, contracts, property and estate law, business law, family law, and criminal law and procedure, and professional responsibility and ethics.

This book addresses the problem of ‘animal life’ in terms that go beyond the usual extension of liberal rights to animals. The discourse of animal rights is one that increasingly occupies the political, ethical and intellectual terrain of modern society. But, although the question of the status of animals holds an important place within a range of civil, political and technological disciplines, the issue of rights in relation to animals usually rehearses the familiar perspectives of legal, moral and humanist philosophy. ‘Animal law’ is fast becoming a topic of significant contemporary interest and discussion. This burgeoning interest has not, however, been matched by renewed inquiry into the jurisprudential frames and methods for the treatment of animals in law, nor the philosophical issue of the ‘human’ and the ‘animal’ that lies at law’s foundation. Responding to this interest, Law and the Question of the Animal: A Critical Jurisprudence brings together leading and emerging critical legal theorists to address the question of animality in relation to law’s foundations, practices and traditions of thought. In so doing, it engages a surprisingly underdeveloped aspect of the moral philosophies of animal rights, namely their juridical register and existence. How does ‘animal law’ alter our juridical image of personality or personhood? How do the technologies of law intersect with the technologies that invent, create and manage animal life? And how might the ethical, ontological and ceremonial relation between humans and animals be linked to a common source or experience of law?