Classes will be starting up soon at law schools around the country. Incoming first-year law students might be interested to know that I have just posted a substantially revised version of my essay, “How to Read a Judicial Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students.” (.pdf, 7 pages) The purpose of the essay is to help entering law students understand how to read a legal opinion. It covers what’s in a legal opinion, common terms, what to look for, and the role of the case method.
I’m happy to report that the essay will be published in a few months in my favorite legal journal, The Green Bag. Plus, it will be published under a Creative Commons license that will allow the essay to be distributed for non-commercial uses. That means that if you’re a professor and you want to assign the essay or just make it available to your students, please feel free to do so.