What Every Law Student Really Needs to Know: An Introduction to the Study of Law

With the aim of decreasing students' anxiety and increasing their chances of achieving academic success, What Every Law Student Really Needs to Know: An Introduction to the Study of Law prepares students to get through their first year of law school. As a valuable reference over an entire law school career, it will continue to contribute to students' academic success. With a friendly and informal writing style, this orientation to law school features:

• Insight into how and why law school works the way it does;
• Tools, techniques, and information for understanding first-year substantive law as fully as possible;
• An overview of the American legal system and court structure;
• A concise review of basic civics, including the structure of American government and sources of law;
• Introductions to analytic tools and methods of reasoning;
• Clear descriptions of basic legal concepts, such as standards of review and burdens of proof;
• A look ahead at the goals of a legal education -- and the life, duties, and responsibilities of being a lawyer;
• Exercises that allow students to independently test their understanding of the material in a particular section;
• Visual aids that help students grasp and remember the material;
• A short primer on American history and legal philosophy, as each is relevant to the study of law;
• Provides a self-study resource that students may use as they need.