1. Critical reading

2. The aims of the presentation To inform about the basic steps of critical reading

3. How to read more efficiently? Reading case-law is hard job Nevertheless: Your future job! Read, understand, analyse, create argument based on the case law Critical reading helps to read better

4. Critical reading Reading of statutes and case-law and thinking of the content It’s a learned skill! To get ideas, deeply comprehend and analyse your task or client’s question carefully, comprehensively, and efficiently

5. Critical reading Thinking while you read The aim: comprehension of materials, analyzing legal questions, Learned skill: Carefully, comprehensively, efficiently

6. 3 steps of critical reading Get the context Skim the text Read and question the text Repeat the third step multiple times

7. Reading judicial opinions Caption Holdings Contextual information – Procedural history and Facts statement – Issue or issues – Court’s analysis The rule The holding or holdings (conclusion) The reasoning Dicta – The judgment – Concurring or dissenting opinions

8. How to read a judicial decision Start with the hand out’s questions After answering the simpler one go the court’s reasoning Analyse every step of the argumentations

9. Conclusion Critical reading and analysis skills are essential for you future job Read read read and never give up!

10. Case-law analysis

11. IRAC structure – Indentify the Parties – Formulate the legal Issue – Describe the relevant facts – Find out the legal Rules – Rephrase the court’s Analysis (1 st and 2 nd instance) – Conclusion In more details in the next lesson

12. Issue Use this formula or any similar to this: The legal issue in the present case is, whether …..(the main legal question) when ….. (state the most important facts which are necessary for the decision).

13. Conveyor Band Legal issue (important legal question) Parties (who they are) Relevant facts (what is important) Rules (which are applicable) Analysis of courts‘ decision Conclusion

14. Brown Machine v. Hercules Legal issue (important legal question) Parties (who they are) Relevant facts (what is important) Rules (which are applicable) Analysis of courts‘ decision Conclusion

15. Děkuji za pozornost Tento studijní materiál byl vytvořen jako výstup z projektu č. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/15.0198 15 Tento projekt je spolufinancován Evropským sociálním fondem a státním rozpočtem České republiky.