Learning Legal Reasoning: Briefing, Analysis and Theory (Delaney Series Book 1) - Softcover

Delaney, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0960851445 ISBN 13: 9780960851447

Publisher: John Delaney Pubns, 2011

Synopsis

This widely used book in many printings begins with answers to forty commonly asked questions of first-year law students. It specifies a six-step approach to briefing a case with specific guidelines for accomplishing each step. The process of briefing cases is then demonstrated with excellent and poor briefs of increasing complexity.
Emphasis is placed initially on the techniques of briefing as an introduction to the learning of legal reasoning, the first priority of the first year of law school. In addition, the book also demonstrates the relevance of more advanced modes of legal reasoning, including positivist, pragmatic, policy oriented, natural-law and other perspectives applied in decoding and understanding cases.
In its introduction of jurisprudential perspectives, Learning Legal Reasoning transcends the typical technical/positivist orientation of most first-year materials.

About this title

About the Author

A law professor for thirty years, John Delaney taught criminal law, advanced criminal law, comparative criminal law, international criminal law, and other courses to law school students and students in masters and doctoral degree programs at the New York University School of Law.

He then taught criminal law, advanced criminal law, the First Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, Jurisprudence and other courses at the City University of New York Law School. Learning Legal Reasoning, How To Do Your Best On Law School Exams and Learning Criminal Law as Advocacy Argument emerged from these decades of teaching and reflecting on what students most need to succeed and what is lacking in law school pedagogy.

Professor Delaney is also the author of law review articles and the general editor of nine other books, mostly about comparative law, in the American Series of Foreign Penal Codes. Prior to teaching, Professor Delaney conducted approximately one thousand trials and he wrote and argued more than one hundred and fifty appeals. Unlike many professors and others, John blends early intensive trial and appellate practice with thirty years of law school teaching, including writing hundreds of exams and grading thousands. His books are informed by this extensive practice, teaching and grading.

Sadly, John died in his ninetieth year of covid-related pneumonia in February 2022. He would urge you to always seek justice and defend the Constitution
Best, Pat Delaney

From the Back Cover

Learning Legal Reasoning is a wonderful piece of work... truly deep while presented in a way that seems accessible and even simple. The last chapter is great... the book deserves to be adopted in Introduction To Law, Legal Method and other courses....
Professor Howard Lesnick, University of Pennsylvania Law School

After reading this book, beginning law students will know what it means to read, think, talk and write like a lawyer. The examples of good and poor briefs demonstrate what to do and what to avoid.
Professor Susan Tucker, Director, First Year Writing Program New York University School of Law

Worries and anxieties about class will fade for the law students who read Learning Legal Reasoning and follow its detailed road map for learning legal analysis.
Professor Robert A. Pugsley, Southwestern University Law School

Professor Delaney is on target. He demonstrates persuasively that the skills required for briefing cases are skills of lawyerly reasoning.
Professor Eric Lane, Hotstra University School of Law

Edition details

• Publisher: John Delaney Pubns
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0960851445
• ISBN 13: 9780960851447
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 139