Learning legal skills and reasoning

Learning Legal Skills and Reasoning is a method and skills book designed to underpin law students’ study of the English legal system. Drawing on a range of areas of law to demonstrate skills development, the book bridges the gap between substantive legal subjects and the skills required to become a successful law student.

The book provides an accessible study map for law students new to the discipline, which aims to enable them to gain legal study skills competence, through which they will increase their critical ability to analyse law, sharpen their thinking, and be encouraged to question the issues they encounter during their learning journey. The 5th edition consolidates material from previous editions into 16 chapters, divided into four discrete parts, dealing with sources of law, working with the law, applying research, and skills for resolving disputes. Whilst some chapters from previous editions have merged and have been updated, many are retained and there is one new chapter covering drafting skills, found in Part 4.

An introductory text aimed primarily at students new to the study of law who are seeking to acquire a range of discrete legal skills, for use to produce competent assessed work, it is equally useful for more experienced students of law seeking to situate and consolidate their learning.