How to Do a Legal Analysis: A Simple Guide

Doing a good legal analysis is very important for anyone working in law, especially if you’re writing or researching legal topics. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you improve your legal analysis skills.

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1. Identify the Legal Issue:

• Start by figuring out the facts of the case.
• What is the main legal question?
• Make sure you understand what laws might apply.

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2. Conduct Background Research:

• Use legal websites, articles, and laws to find basic information.
• Learn about the background of the issue.
• What laws are important? Are there any famous cases that relate to this topic?

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3. Gather Relevant Laws and Precedents:

• Collect case laws, statutes, rules, and other sources that relate to your issue.
• Use legal databases like Westlaw or LexisNexis to help you find everything you need.

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4. Analyze the Legal Framework:

• Break down each law and case you gathered.
• Look at how these laws fit with the facts of your case.
• Consider the rules and interpretations from other cases that might help your understanding.

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5. Evaluate Counterarguments:

• Look at opposing viewpoints that could challenge your analysis.
• Consider dissenting opinions in cases or arguments that disagree with your viewpoint.

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6. Assess Policy Implications:

• Think about how the legal issue affects the larger community.
• How does it fit in with public policy?
• Consider economic and ethical factors that might impact how a judge could decide.

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7. Synthesize the Information:

• Put together everything you’ve learned.
• Organize your thoughts and make connections between laws, facts, and their implications.
• Create a clear story with your analysis.

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8. Draft the Legal Analysis:

• Write your analysis in a clear structure.
• Start with an introduction to the issue, then discuss your findings.
• Use headings and bullet points to make it easy to follow.

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9. Support Your Arguments with Citations:

• Make sure to quote your sources correctly.
• Reference case laws, statutes, and other resources to give your analysis more authority.
• Use the citation style required by your school or court, like Bluebook.

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10. Revise and Proofread:

• Go through your draft carefully to make it clear and accurate.
• Check that you used legal terms correctly and that your arguments make sense.
• Look for grammar mistakes and ensure your document meets legal writing standards.

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By following these steps, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of legal issues. Sometimes you may need to go back and revisit earlier steps as you discover new information.

Finally, the more you practice doing legal analysis, the better you will become. Talking with classmates or mentors can also offer new ideas and improve your understanding. Good legal analysis will not only make your writing stronger, but it will also prepare you for the challenges of working in law.