Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell Series)

Book Description
If you are about to start law school or are in your first year, this book would be a good companion. Now in the fourth edition, this text has helped thousand of folks become better law students and down the road, better lawyers. Like other introductory books, it covers the basics: reading and briefing cases; preparing for class; outlining and study groups; taking exams. There are exercises so you can apply what you have learned. In addition to these essentials, the book focuses of what is often quite elusive: legal analysis; Why do courts follow precedent?; How are cases applied and distinguished?; How is ambiguous language interpreted? Legal analysis is the hidden ball of the first year, and with this book you will be well on your way. There are chapters on legal writing (not necessarily boring or highfalutin') and on oral argument (not necessarily terrifying). These chapters will help in first year writing and Moot Court Programs. And, for those of you who aren't sure, there are chapters revealing the wide array of careers that will be open to you. The book reads fast, well, and is often funny. That said, drawing on the work of philosophers, psychologists, and novelists, it takes you and your calling quite seriously, but never (not even once) pompously.

About the Author
Professor Hegland has written two popular Nutshells, The Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law (4th Edition) and Trial and Practice Skills (3rd edition). He has co-authored a book on elder law, Fifty and Beyond, The Law You and Your Parents Need to Know. He is the James E. Rogers Professor of Law at the University of Arizona and has also taught at UCLA and Harvard. He has degrees from Stanford, UC Berkeley and Harvard. Before teaching, he practiced criminal law and poverty law for California Rural Legal Assistance.


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This text will give you a first-day law-school orientation at your own pace. It will thoroughly introduce you to the study and practice of law. It will teach you how to read with sufficient closeness; take exams; cope with the first-year pressures; effectively research, write and argue law; see how a typical case is investigated, plead and tried; and see how to select courses in the second and third years and think about career choices. The text provides the scope and highlights you need to excel in understanding this field. This will enable you to answer exam questions more quickly and accurately, and enhance your skills as an attorney.


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