Legal Argument and Small-Scale Organization
9 Pages Posted: 11 Apr 2007 Last revised: 31 Mar 2014
Date Written: 2007
Abstract
Legal argument and legal writing are inseparable. This paper first discusses the four types of legal argument -- 1) rule-based reasoning, 2) reasoning by analogy, 3) distinguishing precedent, and 4) policy-based reasoning, and it shows how reasoning by analogy has been overemphasized in first-year doctrinal courses. It then demonstrates how legal writing courses usually include all four types of legal reasoning. Finally, the paper presents a small-scale organizational paradigm that incorporates all four types of reasoning.
Keywords: legal writing, legal reasoning, legal argument
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