The result of eight years of Nygren's work with first-semester students in five different law schools, this book melds information about the legal system usually found in legal methods books with information about study skills usually found in books with a "how to succeed in law school" focus.

The book uses one area of law — the implied warranty of merchantability as it applies to food — to illustrate various legal issues and the skills needed to master them. It introduces basic legal concepts and vocabulary in the context of one hypothetical case, and then focuses on the structure of cases and types of reasoning courts use. When finished with the book, readers will have the background they need in order to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of legal materials.

A teacher's manual is also available.

" . . . [a] must read before starting law school and the most helpful book I had. Nygren puts the entire law school experience in perspective and gives guidance to help the future attorneys balance their academic, personal, and social lives so that none suffer."—Nicholas Meier, J.D.