The ability to read law well is a critical, indispensable skill that can make or break the academic career of any aspiring lawyer. Fortunately, the ability to read law well (quickly and accurately) is a skill that can be acquired through knowledge and practice. The sooner the student masters these skills, the greater the rewards.

Using seven specific reading strategies, reinforced with hands-on exercises at the end of each chapter, this book shows students how they can read law efficiently, effectively, powerfully, and confidently. Reading Like a Lawyer is divided into 3 parts:

• Part I introduces the reader to the fundamentals of legal reasoning upon which law-based reading builds;
• Part II introduces the reader to concrete strategies for reading effectively in law school;
• and Part III teaches strategies for reading law outside of the law school context.

The detailed Teacher’s Manual (with accompanying Powerpoint presentations available online at www.unc.edu/~ramckinn/index.html) also explores in depth how effective legal reading can be taught in Orientation and Preorientation Programs, in small group settings, in legal writing seminars, or as a supplement in doctrinal classes.