IRAC! IRAC! IRAC!: How to Brief Any Legal Issue

29(2) Southern Law Journal (Fall 2019)

17 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2016 Last revised: 6 Jan 2020

See all articles by Lawrence J. Trautman

Lawrence J. Trautman

Prairie View A&M University - College of Business; Texas A&M University School of Law (By Courtesy)

Cathy Taylor

Western Carolina University

Janet Ford

Western Carolina University

Lora Koretz

W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State

Anthony McMullen

University of Central Arkansas

Erin Isom

Prairie View A&M University - College of Business

Date Written: September 14, 2017

Abstract

The purpose of this short essay is to provide introductory guidance to busy students of business or constitutional law about how to go about briefing any legal issue, including a Supreme Court opinion. Others have stated that the most difficult thing about the study of law is learning how to read cases and statutes and finding a way to organize the materials into a workable format. Our goal is to convey these basic analytical and briefing concepts in a format readable within 20 minutes of diligent effort. Ample additional resources are presented in our footnotes for those desiring a more robust discussion.

Keywords: Application, Business Law, Case Analysis, Constitutional Law, Framing, IRAC, Legal Analysis, Legal Research and Writing, Legal Skills, Literature and Law, Logical Structure, Metaphor, Original Meaning, Rhetoric, Rule, Supreme Court, Writing

Suggested Citation

Trautman, Lawrence J. and Taylor, Cathy and Ford, Janet and Koretz, Lora and McMullen, Anthony and Isom, Erin, IRAC! IRAC! IRAC!: How to Brief Any Legal Issue (September 14, 2017). 29(2) Southern Law Journal (Fall 2019), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2827285 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2827285

Lawrence J. Trautman (Contact Author)

Prairie View A&M University - College of Business ( email )

Prairie View, TX
United States

Texas A&M University School of Law (By Courtesy) ( email )

1515 Commerce St.
Fort Worth, TX Tarrant County 76102
United States

Cathy Taylor

Western Carolina University ( email )

Cullowhee, NC 28723
United States

Janet Ford

Western Carolina University ( email )

United States

Lora Koretz

W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State ( email )

Tempe, AZ 85287-4006
United States

Anthony McMullen

University of Central Arkansas ( email )

(501) 852-0695 (Phone)

Erin Isom

Prairie View A&M University - College of Business ( email )

Prairie View, TX
United States

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