Chapters
Chapters
Book Chapters
01
You Have to See the Whole World with a New Angle from Now On
02
Self-Hypnotism- Imagine you are a Lawyer When you Write an Essay or Take the Exam
03
Identification of Issues
What is an issue? An issue means an important topic or problem for debate or discussion…
04
Issues Spotting-cultivate your sensitivity to both big and small issues
What is “issues spotting”? “Issues spotting” is the ability to identify events in a fact pattern that are relevant to the law and to pinpoint potential legal issues…
05
Spotting mental hijackers who tend to hijack your mind with weird rules
Rules are explicit or understood principles that guide conduct within a specific activity or sphere. They serve as standards or norms to determine actions and behaviors…
06
Rules Can Be Traps
Some rules can be tricky, so you have to be smart to determine the nature of the rules…
07
Be aware of “devil rules”
Is the rule a source of authority or a way to justify an accusation against you? A rule can serve as a source of authority when it grants you the power to take specific actions. For instance…
08
One’s rules can also be one’s own “Conclusion” from one perspective only
Some invisible rules may not accurately reflect reality, fail to represent the actual situation or miss the bigger picture. These rules can arise from an individual’s unique …
09
A “habit” is a subjective rule
Different people have different habits in their daily lives, but some habits may not make sense logically…
10
Rules-Please adopt the right standard (UCC vs. The Common Law)
A rule indicates a standard by which you can analyze what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in a given situation…
11
Definition 1-Do not define a term with the same word
When defining a term, it is important to avoid simply rephrasing using the same words. If your explanation uses identical unfamiliar terms, readers may struggle to grasp the…
12
Definition 2- Do not define with words that are too common for other definitions
When giving instructions to others, the first rule is to be clear…
13
Definition 3-The skill of defining and writing the definitions in your own words when you forget what you have recited
The key criteria for definitions are (1) accuracy, (2) equivalency, (3) logic and sensibility, and (4) positive meanings…
14
Interpretation of the “facts” given
A “fact” is generally understood as something that has actually happened or something that is known and demonstrated to be true. However, just because something …
15
Interpretation of one’s comments
One’s subjective comments can be used as a reference to the possible facts, but they are not conclusive. Please do not take them as objective facts…
16
Inference of a combination of a few facts
In a law school essay, the question typically consists of at least five paragraphs. For a contract essay, the question may even be one page long, while for an evidence essay, there…
17
Vagueness-Avoid using abstract words but also take advantage of the abstract words
When you send mixed signals, you bear some responsibility for any misunderstandings or disputes that arise, even if it’s not a legal obligation…
18
Responses-The power of “responses”
Do you think the words of a respondent, observer, or bystander can hold more power and influence than those of the person taking action? A person may plan and carry out…
19
The power of “bias”
A “bias” is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair…
20
The rationale of “challenging”
21
Logical fallacy
When we consider the possibilities of something, we need to know its limitations: Sometimes, both can be correct, or either must be incorrect. Understanding the limitations will…
22
Please get rid of your emotions in your analysis!
You may feel upset when something doesn’t sound right or when you have grievances. This can bother you for days…
23
No one is omniscient“Something you did not see” is not equivalent to “it did not happen”
24
Recognizing Your Bargaining Chips
The girlfriend said, “If you do not stop gambling, our relationship will end. I will no longer be your girlfriend”…
25
The Psychology of Handling Unfamiliar Subjects
A fact pattern may involve something you are unfamiliar with…
26
Hardworking is not decisive in law school success
Many exam takers often blame the graders when they fail an exam, believing that, because they are very hardworking, they deserve passing scores…
27
Critical Thinking-Polish your skill of critical thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information effectively and reach sound conclusions. Throughout this process, it is essential to understand what the information…
28
Think comprehensively-Do not just talk about one doctrine and stop
When writing your essays, please avoid discussing only one doctrine and stopping there. Every fact pattern involves multiple doctrines—typically at least ten—although some may be more evident than others…
29
Contemplation is boundless-Explore as many options as possible when you think
For any incidents you analyze, please explore all reasonable possibilities…
30
To be meticulous in every detail
For any essay you tackle, it’s important not to just scratch the surface. If you’re too superficial in identifying issues and in your thinking and analysis, your legal arguments won’t be…
31
Comprehension- Figure out what the difficult terms mean
When you are relatively weak in a particular subject, focus on strengthening your understanding of a few key …
32
Presentation- Do you know how to present your arguments in a persuasive manner?
“Persuasion” is the act of convincing someone to take action, believe something, or change their ideas by appealing to their emotions…
33
Ten skills for convincing people
Persuasion is a challenging skill to master. Do you believe you know how to do it? Learning how to persuade others can benefit you for the rest of your life. With effective…
34
Explanation-Be clear about what the problem is and what evidence is required
Just because someone witnesses a problem does not mean they understand what is necessary to prove its existence…
35
Explanation has to be step-by-step and each step has to be cohesive without gaps
In our daily lives, when we explain something step by step, there may be gaps between the steps. However, we often don’t see this as a problem because we rely on common…
36
Explanation-Revise the contradictory expressions by fixing the wording
Occasionally, a seemingly contradictory statement does not necessarily indicate that the speaker holds conflicting beliefs. Instead, it may simply reflect an incorrect choice of words or phrases that inadvertently convey contradictory meanings…
37
Explanation Please make the conditions and circumstances crystal clear when they exist
Here is a conversation between Bruce and Helen: Bruce: “I need to go out to use the restroom. The restrooms here are too crowded.” …
38
Relevancy-What are relevant facts?
Key facts must clearly convey the main point the audience needs to understand what occurred…
39
Organization
Organization is the skill of systematically presenting all rules, facts, explanations, and analyses so that readers can get an idea of what you are trying to present without confusion…
40
IRAC-A meaningful chat also requires the mechanism of IRAC
When people chat with friends, they often offer advice. But how meaningful or helpful is that advice…
41
IRAC-Make sure you understand the structure of IRAC, and how to complete a nested IRACs
IRAC is a fundamental structure for law school essays. In lengthy essays that cover multiple complex issues, you may encounter nested IRACs—essentially, IRACs within…
42
Elements-Getting to know the delicate relationship between the rules and their elements & the skill of breaking apart a series of acts for analysis purposes
When you go to a Vietnamese restaurant, you will see many choices for beef pho. The following is the menu for a Vietnamese restaurant…
43
Rules-Avoid getting swamped by rules
Understanding the differences between terms is crucial for multiple-choice questions, as these questions are designed to assess one’s grasp of subtle distinctions…
44
Analysis- Are you sure you know what an analysis is?
Simply labeling facts according to the appropriate rules does not qualify as a thorough analysis…
45
Are you sure you know what is an analysis-be sure to make a legal analysis
Legal analysis involves examining legal issues and applying relevant laws to specific facts in order to reach a conclusion. It requires four main components…
46
Are you sure you know what is an analysis-Layers of analysis 353
A law school essay should take about one hour to write. If the essay addresses only one question without any sub-questions, the analysis leading to the conclusion should have multiple layers…
47
Exaggeration-Be aware of “exaggeration” in the analysis
An exaggerated statement is one that makes something seem more intense, better, or worse than it actually is. It involves speaking or writing in a way that presents…
48
Practices
When you receive the following three job offers, which one should you pick…
49
Argument-Establish your role as a “victim” when your goal is to seek compensation
When seeking to hold someone responsible for the damages you’ve suffered, your task is to convince the judge that you are the victim. This means demonstrating not only that you…
50
Argument-Training yourself for a prompt two-side argument
In an exam, you need to express various points on different issues while considering both sides of the argument within a limited timeframe. It is important to train yourself…
51
Conclusion-A conclusion is an answer to the question after a long analysis, not a summary of what is being discussed
If you represent Mary, a mother with a 2-year-old boy, your conclusion should be: “Custody of the child should be granted to Mary.” …
52
Strategies-If your level is far below standard……Understand your own ability level and develop the best strategies
When several law students fail the same exam, each individual’s effort to pass the next one may vary because everyone is at a different level. Your challenges might differ from those of your peers. It’s important to be honest with…
53
Strategies-Vocabularies - Enrich your vocabularies bank when English is not your first language
An essay is composed of several paragraphs, each containing multiple sentences, and each sentence consists of various words. Therefore, having a broader vocabulary will…
54
Language-When English is your second language……
Speaking English as a second language can present challenges when studying law. However, this does not mean that you cannot improve your skills. While a native speaker…
55
Do not panic-Be clear with the definitions of unfamiliar terms
Before you begin writing your analysis, ensure that you are familiar with the definitions of all the rules that will be used in your analysis. If you are not, you risk…
56
Do not panic-Figure out what an unknown term means
In law school, especially during your first year, you will frequently encounter unfamiliar terms. It’s important to approach this with curiosity and persistence to understand their meanings. When you’re not taking an exam, it’s easy …
57
Do not panic-Performance Test -decode the unfamiliar rules
The rules in PT are specifically designed for the exam, so you are not expected to know any of them. However, they also logically make sense…
58
Strengthen your positive attitude in your law school adventure
Having a positive attitude can give you more energy throughout your journey, whereas a negative mindset can drain your energy and lead to feelings of frustration…
59
Strengthen your ability and boost your willingness to learn from mistakes
Making a mistake is not a big deal. Be courageous enough to admit it and learn how to prevent it from happening again. Don’t waste time feeling regretful, denying your error…
60
Take advantage of the free advice around you
Those who have just passed the bar exam are often eager to share their feedback and advice about preparing for the exam. They are enthusiastic because they are still excited…