Criminal Law Vocabulary - Strafrecht

Accomplice; Accessory; Abettor – der Gehilfe;

Principal - Haupttäter

Complicity – die Beihilfe

Nötigung – Duress; coercion

Rape - Vergewaltigung

Robbery - Raub

Murder – Mord;

Manslaughter – Totschlag

Homicide – Tötung

Arson - Brandstiftung

Burglary - Einbruchdiebstahl

Theft  - Diebstahl

Suspect – der Verdächtiger

Gang – der (kriminelle) Band

Victim – der Opfer

First time offender / First offender

Recidivism – Rückfall

Untersuchungshaft – Preliminary Detention

Felony - Verbrechen

Misdemeanor - Vergehen

Violation - Ordnungswidrigkeit

Felon - Verbrecher

Criminal - Verbrecher

Tax Evasion – Steuerhinterziehung

Tax Avoidance – Steuervermeidung

Offence against the person

Offence against property

Bust out – Betrugsanleihe mit anschliessenden Versicherungsbetrug und Scheinbankrott

Counterfeiting – Geldfälschung, Fälschung

Fraud - Betrug

Treason – Verrat

High Treason - Höchstverrat

Espionage - Spionage

Bagatelldelikt – Minor offence; trifling offence

RICO

Adhäsionsverfahren – Tort claim arising out of criminal complaint

Intentional – Vorsätzlich; Absichtlich

General Intent

Specific Intent

Assault - Bedrohung

Battery - Körperverletzung

Attempt – Versuch

Embezzlement - Unterschlagung

Extortion – Erpressung

Blackmail – Erpressung

Greenmail

Fencing – Hehlerei

Insider trading / Insider dealing – Insiderhandel

Market manipulation – Kursmanipulation

Bribery - Bestechung

Slander – Üble Nachrede

Defamation -

Libel - Verleumdung

Insult – Beschimpfung

Surveillance – Beobachtung

Protective Surveillance - Überwachung

Wire-tapping

Lauschangriff

False imprisonment  - Freiheitsberaubung

Abduction / Kidnapping - Entführung

Hostage Taking - Geiselnahme

Hijacking - Flugzeugentführung

Trespass – (Haus)friedensbruch

Forgery – Fälschung

Destruction of Evidence – Zerstörung Beweismittels

Criminal Combination – Krimineller Verein

(To Bear) False Witness – falsches Zeugnis

Money Laundering - Geldwäsche

Perjury – falsches Zeugnis

Element – Bestandteil

Element of the crime - Tatbestand

Impossibility - Unmöglichkeit

Self defence

Justification

Excuse

Defence; Verteidigung; Verteidigungsmittel

Criminal Capacity - Straffähigkeit

Mahnverfahren –

Mahnbrief – Warning Letter

Mahnung - Warning

Manhunt – Jagd auf jemand; Suche

Mayhem; Maiming -

Larceny- Entwendung

Accessory - Gehilfe

Fine - Bußgeld

Imprisonment - Freiheitsstrafe

Acquittal - Freispruch

Probation - Bewährung

Attenuating Circumstance; Mitigating Circumstance - Strafmilderungsgrund

Aggravating - Strafschärfung

Mitigating Circumstance – mildernder Umstand; Strafmilderungsgrund

Pardon – Begnadigung

Suspended Sentence

Time Served

Good behavior

Remand – Untersuchungshaft (U.K.), Zurückweisung dem unteren Instantz (U.S.)

Bewährung

Strafvollzug – enforcement of sentence

Released on his own recognizance – Unter selbst Bewährung

Bail; Bail bond

Verjährung – Prescription; Statute of Limitations

Forgery – Fälschung

Hit-and-run - Fahrerflucht

Strike – Streik

Slow-down

Lock-out

Riot – Krawalle

Incitement - Anstiftung

Bankruptcy - Bankrott

Notwehr – Self defence

Notstand – Emergency situation, which justifies action; necessity

Unfair competition – unlauterer Wettbewerb

Tortious interference with a contract -

Open Access Links

Open access legal scholarship links:
http://www.doaj.org/
http://vifa-recht.gbv.de
http://www.base-search.net
http://www.referat.com/catalog/?topic=%CF%F0%E0%E2%EE&start=45

Vocabulary

Define or find a synonym for each term:

Presumption______________________________________________

Rebuttable Presumption___________________________________

Irrebuttable Presumption_________________________________

Assumption_______________________________________________

Refutation_______________________________________________

Foundation_______________________________________________

Grounds__________________________________________________

Precondition_____________________________________________

Burden of proof__________________________________________

Shifting the burden of proof_____________________________

International law________________________________________

Administrative law_______________________________________

European commission______________________________________

European council_________________________________________

Court____________________________________________________

Jury_____________________________________________________

Juror____________________________________________________

Appeal___________________________________________________

Question of law__________________________________________

Question of fact_________________________________________

Custom___________________________________________________

Customary law____________________________________________

precedent________________________________________________

condition precedent______________________________________

convention_______________________________________________

deference________________________________________________

vote_____________________________________________________

veto_____________________________________________________

consideration____________________________________________

principle________________________________________________

specific performance_____________________________________

pure economic losses_____________________________________

damages__________________________________________________

injury___________________________________________________

injunction (temporary/permanent)_________________________

temporary restraining order______________________________

with respect to__________________________________________

tort_____________________________________________________

contract_________________________________________________

property_________________________________________________

appellant________________________________________________

appellee_________________________________________________

appellor_________________________________________________

res ipsa loquitor________________________________________

ultra vires______________________________________________

usufruct_________________________________________________

usus_____________________________________________________

abusus___________________________________________________

use value________________________________________________

exchange value___________________________________________

oppression_______________________________________________

repression_______________________________________________

oppression_______________________________________________

suppression______________________________________________

depression_______________________________________________

dialectic________________________________________________

liberation_______________________________________________

life tenancy_____________________________________________

life estate_______________________________________________

trust____________________________________________________

indict___________________________________________________

grand jury_______________________________________________

petit jury_______________________________________________

inquisitorial____________________________________________

accusatorial_____________________________________________

case law_________________________________________________

statutes_________________________________________________

laws_____________________________________________________

regulations______________________________________________

directives_______________________________________________

court of equity__________________________________________

court of law_____________________________________________

substantive law__________________________________________

procedural law___________________________________________

relevant_________________________________________________

treaty___________________________________________________

convention_______________________________________________

civil procedure__________________________________________

civil law________________________________________________

civil code_______________________________________________

ambiguous________________________________________________

interpretation___________________________________________

critique_________________________________________________

criticisim_______________________________________________

criticise________________________________________________

literal__________________________________________________

figurative_______________________________________________

metaphoric_______________________________________________

crime____________________________________________________

criminal law_____________________________________________

criminal_________________________________________________

arbitration______________________________________________

adversary________________________________________________

adversarial proceeding___________________________________

lex talionis_____________________________________________

institute________________________________________________

instigate________________________________________________

bring suit_______________________________________________

bring a lawsuit__________________________________________

to sue___________________________________________________

adjudication_____________________________________________

to judge_________________________________________________

comprehend_______________________________________________

understand_______________________________________________

percieve_________________________________________________

opinion__________________________________________________

decision_________________________________________________

decide___________________________________________________

verdict__________________________________________________

barrister________________________________________________

solicitor________________________________________________

contingent fee___________________________________________

punitive damages_________________________________________

real property____________________________________________

personal property________________________________________

intellectual property____________________________________

material property________________________________________

immaterial property______________________________________

liability________________________________________________

imputation_______________________________________________

reciprocity______________________________________________

opposite_________________________________________________

opposition_______________________________________________

object (v)_______________________________________________

object (n)_______________________________________________

objection________________________________________________

offer____________________________________________________

acceptance_______________________________________________

promise__________________________________________________

mutual___________________________________________________

expectation interest_____________________________________

expectancy_______________________________________________

counteroffer_____________________________________________

bargain__________________________________________________

negotation_______________________________________________

arguments________________________________________________

option___________________________________________________

stock option_____________________________________________

stock____________________________________________________

share____________________________________________________

option contract__________________________________________

similar__________________________________________________

same_____________________________________________________

analogy__________________________________________________

compel___________________________________________________

inculpate________________________________________________

exculpate________________________________________________

blameworthy______________________________________________

praiseworthy_____________________________________________

reform___________________________________________________

source___________________________________________________

resource_________________________________________________

sovereignty______________________________________________

rule of law______________________________________________

check____________________________________________________

cash_____________________________________________________

money order______________________________________________

acquit___________________________________________________

dissent__________________________________________________

majority_________________________________________________

majority opinion_________________________________________

dissent__________________________________________________

equivocal________________________________________________

ambiguous________________________________________________

contradiction____________________________________________

guilty___________________________________________________

innocent_________________________________________________

tort_____________________________________________________

presumed innocent________________________________________

innocent until proven guilty_____________________________

more likely than not_____________________________________

beyond doubt_____________________________________________

beyond reasonable doubt__________________________________

restitution______________________________________________

teleology________________________________________________

ontology_________________________________________________

indict___________________________________________________

prosecute________________________________________________

remand___________________________________________________

reverse__________________________________________________

cease____________________________________________________

desist___________________________________________________

proxy____________________________________________________

circumstances____________________________________________

principle________________________________________________

policy___________________________________________________

practice_________________________________________________

right____________________________________________________

claim____________________________________________________

compensation_____________________________________________

nominal damages__________________________________________

punitive damages_________________________________________

general damages__________________________________________

special damages__________________________________________

causation________________________________________________

German Legal Dictionaries

http://iate.europa.eu/iatediff/SearchByQueryLoad.do;jsessionid=9ea7991930d6b500ecd332a446118d27d31a7ef1cbf6.e38KbN4MchyMb40SbxyRaN0LbNj0?method=load

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjLPEKGFyiCCdFdOQjYwT1cwRkszeG5UQXN2dE5zZEE&hl=en#gid=0

http://www.lexexakt.de/indexv.php?gebiet=en-law?buchstabe=a

http://www.degruyter.com/view/product/59088 paywall but Humboldt access.

http://wicourts.gov/services/interpreter/docs/germanglossary.pdf

http://www.online-recht.de/vorgl.html?intro

http://web.archive.org/web/20011018030944/http://www.heymanns.com/html/recht/ratgeber_recht/rechtslexikon/Lexikon.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/20020215203601/http://www.hamburg.de/StadtPol/Gerichte/VG/rechtslexikon.htm

LII Toolbar

Ooh! Australian Legal Information Institute (Austlii) has updated their toolbar!

http://www.austlii.edu.au/techlib/toolbar/

Joy!

Videos on Basic Legal Method: Briefing cases, IRAC, Referencing

These videos are optional material you may find useful/fun.
Caveat: This site==> http://www.youtube.com/user/Lawschoolsuccess is not good. It's only a giant advertisement (Werbung). Ignore that site.

HOW TO BRIEF CASES
Rememeber, in case briefing we are looking for the facts, the rule.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feucSsK_L50
This is good because he points out the link between briefing the case and the IRAC formula.
This is also about case briefing , it might be easier to follow since it is also in writing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH1XkaFD2C0&NR=1
I sent this IRAC link in the mail earlier, I think it's good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6KOsHYiL3k&NR=1
This isn't the IRAC link I sent earlier but is also good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtLV_0HRLB4

This one is good: NO CONCLUSORY REASONING show me the Reasons not just the Outcome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An-1xWBRLmM&NR=1
IRAC -- I dont think this is good but you might disagree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfcUay1xx2U&feature=related
this site^ has 2 others on irac http://www.youtube.com/user/JonesCollegeJAX



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvuiFoO3Ulc
Corporation - This one is definitely relevant for my corporation course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY2EhEYbk1U&feature=related
Affidavit - YouTube - This one is generally relevant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4DrWTYQD0&NR=1
Reading Cases Guide - YouTube -- It's ok, but only that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvGCAkM3XQ&NR=1
Legal Writing Skills Module 3: WRITING AND REFERENCING - It's ok, but only that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXHx5xcB6C4&NR=1
pols424: reading cases - It's ok, but only that.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LawStudySystems#p/u
Consideration (Contracts) - Not relevant to either of my courses but really well done.

I wrote these search engines while at Harvard
http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hela/searchengines.html

The world legal information institute http://www.worldlii.org/
has links to free online law from a variety of jurisdictions.
As of yet there is no E.U. or German L.I.I.
I would like to build one.

Acronyms!

Abbreviations Links

http://www.abbreviations.com/acronyms/LAW
Law Abbreviations

http://www.legal-abbreviations.org/index/a.html
Legal Abbreviations that start with A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legal_abbreviations
List of legal abbreviations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://members.cox.net/govdocs/govspeak.html
GovSpeak: A Guide to Government Acronyms & Abbreviations

http://lib.law.washington.edu/pubs/acron.html
Acronyms & Abbreviations

http://lib.law.washington.edu/cilp/abbrev.html
Bluebook Abbreviations of Law Reviews & Legal Periodicals Indexed in

CILP


Permalinks: These will Not go stale. They are identical to the links above.

http://web.archive.org/web/20110426060944/http://www.abbreviations.com

/acronyms/LAW
Law Abbreviations

http://web.archive.org/web/20100420060404/http://www.legal-abbreviatio

ns.org/?
LEGAL ABBREVIATIONS ONLINE at Legal-Abbreviations.org

http://web.archive.org/web/20100427025104/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

/List_of_legal_abbreviations
List of legal abbreviations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://web.archive.org/web/20110721215331/http://members.cox.net/govdo

cs/govspeak.html
GovSpeak: A Guide to Government Acronyms & Abbreviations

http://web.archive.org/web/20101213234320/http://lib.law.washington.ed

u/pubs/acron.html
Acronyms & Abbreviations

http://web.archive.org/web/20110720112624/http://lib.law.washington.ed

u/cilp/abbrev.html
Bluebook Abbreviations of Law Reviews & Legal Periodicals Indexed in

CILP

Maxims of Equity, Canons of Construction, Common Law Writs

Equitable maxims, canons of constructions, and common law writs are elements of common law which will likely confuse you because
1) paralell German or French concepts may not exist
2) the language is technical legal terminology: ordinary people don't talk like this.

1) Canons of construction are interpretive principles to construe legislation.
2) Equitable maxims are procedural conditions to getting an equitable remedy.
3) Common law writs are equitable remedies.

We must first understand law versus equity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_%28law%29

and then we can figure out the maxims.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxims_of_equity

Canons of construction, in contrast are not "equity" they are "law".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_interpretation#Canons

Understanding the split between Law and Equity is crucial to figuring out Anglo-American common law.

Legal Citation Formats (Blue Book, ALWD, OSCOLA)

This link
http://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/
gives you the format for U.S. legal citation.


A ZIP file of English, French, EU, and German legal citation formats.


 

How and Why to Publish Articles about the Law

How and Why to Publish Articles about the Law

Eric Engle

Lawyers have a responsibility to work for the general public good (pro bono publico). The law is constantly evolving. The evolution of law occurs in part through legal commentary. Furthermore, legal scholarship is a source of international law and persuasive evidence of the law in most civilianist legal systems. Finally, publishing your work is a professional credential. It is a way to make your mark on the law. A way to attract attention to your practice.

1. How to Write Your Article: Structure and Discipline.

Good legal writing is a discipline. The law review article seeks to present and prove a thesis. This requires a clear cogent thesis statement. It also requires a structured argument to support the thesis. This structure will normally be an outline which will be reflected in the table of contents of the article. The article's points of law, especially those which are controversial, must be footnoted. Footnotes, whether to legislation, cases, or commentary are the scientific foundation of your work. And this is the basic process of writing. First, develop a thesis statement. This is your hypothesis. Then, research the law, to find and form the footnotes you will use. You may then modify your hypothesis which now becomes your thesis statement. You then form an outline of the structured arguments you will use to prove your thesis. You then place the tentative footnotes into the outline. Essentially, one writes the article into the outline, around the footnotes to prove the thesis statement. Footnotes should be formed according to the ALWD, the Blue Book, or the Oscola style.

This process of writing may seem simple. However, writing takes discipline. Finding and forming footnotes is indispensable. As to one's own writing: edit! edit! edit! edit! Outline ten times, write once. But then, reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. Editing seeks to express ideas clearly and quickly. The reader should consult style guides like Strunk and White's Elements of Style. Canons like: "Omit needless words." "Avoid the passive voice." "Use short sentences." should be burnt in every writers brain. Good writers use literary devices. However, literary devices are not necessary and may detract from your writing if badly used.

After you have written your article you should show it to your friends. They may point out things that seem clear to you which might not be clear to another reader.

2. Submitting Your Monsterpiece?

It Better Be a Masterpiece! No One Has Time to Waste!

Once you've written your article you must submit it for publication. Just like there's a method for writing, there is also a method for publishing.

First, you need to figure out where you want to submit to. There are two types of journals. Some journals, usually better ranked European ones, insist on "exclusive submission". They only consider your article if you promise not to submit it elsewhere while they consider it. They usually take about two months to review your article. They may reject your article outright, or will return it with comments and ask for revisions and resubmission.

U.S. journals are generally not exclusive submit. That means your article can be under consideration at more than one law review at a time. However U.S. law reviews have two submission seasons. September and March. I mass submit at those times and then individual submit in the other months.

When you feel your paper is "as good as you can make it" you must send it to journals. Your cover letter may well be the only thing the journal actually reads. In fact, the subject line of your email may be the only thing the journal reads. It has to be perfect. A good subject line might be: SUBMISSION - "The Law and Economics of Mergers and Acquisitions in Russia". The journal knows this is a submission, and even knows the title of your article. Your title, just like the subject line of that email, must be perfect.

I repeat the TITLE of your article is the ONLY thing you are sure your reader will read. It has to be perfect. Likewise, your first paragraph must also be perfect for the same reason. You should focus especially on the first three pages and last page of your article. It must be *perfect*.

You also need a cover letter. Your cover letter should describe who you are, and what you want. You are a lawyer. You want to publish your article about ___. Be friendly and courteous to your editors. Be clear that you will be happy to edit your article and that you will provide footnotes, substantive or stylistic editing as the editors require.

Your cover letter should include an *abstract* of the article. An abstract presents a summary of the article. Your cover letter should also include your c.v. Include your c.v. and abstract both inline and as an attachment.

Essentially editors have little time and no interest to edit your half-done work. You should be sending them an article "ready to be published" -- not something half baked. And your cover letter should look perfectly professional -- because that is all they may bother to look at.

3. Where to Send your Article

There are numerous lists of email addresses for submission. See, e.g.,

http://lawlib.wlu.edu/lj/

LexOpus -- free online submission manager.

https://lawlib.wlu.edu/lexopus/index.aspx

http://ssrn.com

(for preprints and working papers)

http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/prodev/lawreview/

Some of the law reviews which are not listed on lexopus, but addresses may be out of date.

Like you can see there are literally hundreds of law reviews. Select those journals most relevant for your article.

4. Publication offer! Then What?

Your publisher will make a publication offer and may ask you to sign a contract giving them copyright. You should have no illusions about making money from writing about law. However you should insist on keeping the right to reproduce your article after an embargo of a year for the academic publishers. Kluwer, Springer and similar for-profit publishers will insist on a permanent embargo. They are reputable enough you should publish with them anyway. If you really hate a term in the contract you can try to negotiate it: "I'm ok giving you exclusive copyright for an embargo of 1 year, but want the right to republish it myself in the book I am planning" - for example.

When your article gets offered publication you should in my opinion simply accept and then go write something else. But you should also write all the other journals you asked to look at your work and tell them that your article is off the market. Some authors try to "expedite" their article to get it placed in a better ranked journal. I find that unseemly. I like having a good reputation, but then I write and publish very often.

If you wish to try to figure out how to "expedite" your article ask Professor Google ;)

In all events love whatever you write and

Good luck!

--------------------

Suggested methodologies: 

1) Problématique: The student must begin with a question which they seek to answer. The research then answers the question and/or leads to other questions... Better for an academic setting than practice but a veryuseful perspective nonetheless. 

2) Case history: The student takes a case which they are interested in and traces the cases history and development. This is very straightforward but produces a useful product especially for legal practitioners. 

3) Comparative approach: The student takes a legal concept which interests them, and traces the concepts development in two different countries. Ideally the student then synthesizes and concludes what would be a better system than either. Can be good for practice and is good for academic work. Done properly it is very scientific. Done poorly it is wishy-washy. 

4) Critique: The student analyses a given law: to determine its weak points. A good method for cynics and nihilists: Rather than seeking to prove something this method seeks to disprove another thing. 

5) Polemic: This is the opposite of problématique. Rather than seeking to answer a question the student seeks to prove a hypothesis. This is better for practice than academics since polemical work tends to be less objective but polemic teaches students to organize and direct their thoughts. On the other hand if legal science is a science then it posits facts about law - so polemic has always been able to claim to be scientific - at least in its better forms... 

Naturally students may mix these methods. They are in all events only "suggested approaches". 

Plagiarism - Footnotes!

Plagiarism is the unattributed use of others works. When you use texts of others, whether quoted or paraphrased, you Must indicate such with a footnote. The footnote shows you have done your research and are not copying others work wrongly. Footnoting is good! Copying texts is ok, but Only if you indicate it with a footnote.

We are teaching you how to think; we are not teaching you what to think. We want you to learn to think for yourself, to think independently, to think creatively and critically. Yes, we expect and hope you will read and refer to other authors – explicitly! You Must say when you use any other author's text. There's nothing to hide. We understand how difficult it is to write in a foreign language. It's ok to quote other's texts, even extensively. But, such uses of others texts must be cited with a footnote. It's only fair.

When you use any other author's writing without citing it with a footnote it is as if you were trying to present someone else's original work as your own. It's not fair to that author. It's also not fair to your reader – your reader will want to know where you got your ideas from, which other authors you read – and are responding to.

Because plagiarism is like stealing it is a serious academic offense. I know you will want to use other author's texts. That's fine it's even expected and desired. BUT you Must tell us you did so – and that's what footnotes are for. They show us you have done your research, have read and thought about other others.

The footnote should be as follows:

Author's First name and last name, a comma, the title of the work in italics, a way to find the work, the page or pages the cited source comes from and the year of publication, a period. Then, “Available at” and a url if possible. So, for example:

Eric Engle, My Next Great Idea, 1 Journal of Law and Economics, page 17 (2010). Available at: http://lexnet.com/my-next-great-idea.htm

The footnote should be sufficient so that I or your reader can locate the original text.

If/ you have lost the source, you should indicate as much of the source as you recall. An imperfect footnote is much much better than no footnote!

http://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/

presents detailed rules – including examples! – of how to cite to legal sources in U.S. Style

http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/published/oscola/oscola_2006.pdf

presents detailed rules – including examples! – of how to cite to legal sources in British Style

they are similar but not the same. Please format your footnotes in either of these styles. You should choose the style based on whether you wish to try to publish your work in the U.S. or Europe, respectively.

http://drcwww.uvt.nl/dbi/instructie/eu/en/T42.htm

shows how to cite to E.U. Laws.

You want your footnotes to be as proper as possible because editors at law journals will judge your work a bit based on the quality of your footnotes. No editor wants to reformat your footnotes. But an imperfect footnote is so much better than no footnote. It's the difference between “acceptable” (a bad footnote) and “unacceptable and thus failure” (no footnote).

Most all of your life you have been told What to think. Anyone can memorize. We do not tell you what to think but How. That's what we are looking for, and why plagiarism is common, yet unacceptable. It's common because 1) someone else has thought of this 2) the grammar is so hard 3) it doesn't seem like a big deal, people copy all the time. But it is a big deal, because we need to know where you got your nice text from, to be fair to other authors, and so you don't appear to be stealing other's ideas and presenting them as your own.

Citation is also important because Courts will Not “just take your word on it”. The Court Must have good law, must know where the law is which you are relying on!

When briefing cases think of ...

Arguments of the Plaintiff? (theories of liability)

Arguments of the Defendant? (defences)

What mistakes did the losing party make? Why did they lose?
What rule or rules of law does this case illustrate?

How to pre-write exams, and free legal research materials.

HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS AND EXAMS

1) Formulate hypothesis – what you THINK you’re going to prove – it’s just tentative at this point
2) Get about 10-20 articles and about 10 books that are relevant.
3) Read each one by one. As you read each one, hunt for quotes and citations. Copy them into a file. Make sure to get the cite for each article and book.
4) You now have compiled about 100 to 300 footnotes and have read sufficiently in the material to
5) Formulate your thesis – it may be just the same as your hypothesis (possible but unlikely, a modified version of your hypothesis (likely), or something entirely different (unlikely)
6) Write an outline of the arguments you will make in support of the thesis you will prove
7) Go back to your list of citations. Plug them into the outline at the appropriate places in the outline.
8) Write your article around your outline. It will basically write itself.
9) However reread and edit again and again to make it smooth and not look like a giant copypasta.

Exams:
Pretend your Alston (or whoever)
Write the examination you would give from the materials as if you were the teacher. You should come up with at least 3 and preferably no more than 10 sample questions
Take a break, sleep on it.
Go back to your questions. Write out a model thesis statement for each.
Take a break, sleep on it.
Go back to your thesis statements. One each day, write an outline for the thesis statement.
Then if there is time write an answer.

On the day of the exam you will have in your mind 3 to 10 well thought out answers. Fitting the questions actually asked to your pre-written answers should be child’s play.

free law sources:

http://books.google.com/
Books!

http://scholar.google.de/
Includes U.S. Case Law

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/free_journal_search.html
Online U.S. law reviews

http://ssrn.com/
Online law and economics working papers.

http://www.bepress.com/
Online law and economics working papers.

http://law.justia.com/
Cases and codes.

http://www.lexisweb.com/
Law reviews