Includes bibliographical references and index

Making the transition -- The United States legal system -- Mandatory vs. persuasive authority -- Reading statutes -- Reading cases -- Primary authority -- Secondary authority -- Finding tools -- Citators -- Developing effective research strategies -- Drafting memos -- Getting the assignment -- Drafting the heading and statement of facts -- Drafting the issue statement and brief answer -- Drafting the discussion section -- Drafting the formal conclusion -- Revising, editing, and proofreading the memo -- Drafting memos requiring other types of analysis -- E-memos -- Drafting advice letters -- Introduction to rhetoric and bias -- Motion briefs -- Deciding on a theory of the case -- Drafting the caption and introduction -- Drafting the statement of facts -- Ordering the issues and arguments -- Drafting the issue statements -- Drafting the argumentative headings -- Drafting the arguments -- Drafting the prayer for relief and signing the brief -- Sample briefs -- Practicing before an appellate court -- Drafting an appellate brief : audience, purpose, and conventions -- Getting the case : United States v. Josephy -- Preparing to write the brief -- Planning the brief -- Beginning the appellate brief : the cover, tables, and jurisdictional statement -- Drafting the statement of issues presented for review -- Drafting the statement of the case and statement of facts -- Drafting the summary of the argument -- Drafting the argumentative headings -- Drafting the arguments -- Completing the brief -- Sample briefs -- Preparing and presenting an effective oral argument -- Effective writing : the whole document -- Connections between paragraphs -- Effective paragraphs -- Connections between sentences -- Effective sentences -- Effective words -- Bias-free language -- Eloquence -- Grammar -- Punctuation -- Mechanics -- Legal writing for English-as-a-second-language writers

"Introductory text on legal research, analysis, and writing"--