Guide to U.S. Legal Analysis and Communication

Written primarily for the international lawyer studying law in the United States, this text introduces students to legal analysis and communications used in U.S. legal practice. The book begins with overviews of the U.S. government and court system, the U.S. common law system and the civil litigation process., laying a foundation for understanding the rest of the course. Through clear explanatory text and numerous exercises, The Guide to U.S. Legal Analysis and Communication provides instruction on the types of written and oral communications that international lawyers are most likely to engage in with U.S. lawyers. Topics covered are: drafting an objective legal analysis; writing persuasively and drafting court documents; expository writings, such as client letters, demand letters, and e-mail communications; conducting an oral argument to a court; and properly citing to legal authorities.

Key New Features

• New chapters on persuasive writing, other elements of the office memorandum and writing a brief
• New chapter on conducting an oral argument
• Elimination of chapters on contract drafting to make room for new materials requested by adopters while keeping the length of the book manageable