Putting the C Back in IRAC

Abstract

Read a law school exam these days, and you're likely to find one of the IRAC elements given short-shrift: the conclusion, C. That's unfortunate because conclusions in legal writing are important for myriad reasons. A legal system that focuses solely on the R and A of IRAC thinks that all facts are held equal and makes legal decision-making an act of automaton. Bad conclusions make for both bad writing and bad practice, so testing law students in drafting good conclusions is important—and more important than currently considered. Conclusions are important because they demand that most precious skill of lawyers: good judgment, what we expect our students to walk away with, if nothing else. It's time to put the C back in IRAC.

Note: This work is (or will be) published by the Green Bag (www.greenbag.org), which hopes you will find it useful.

Keywords: IRAC, law, legal education, pedagogy, writing, conclusions