Preface
This text grew out of research in which the author is engaged in the
area of legal method or technique. It seeks to explain simple,
effective and easy to use methods for working with law.
The text describes methods for four tasks and their subtasks:
(1)
Organising law. This has two parts, macro analysis of law and
micro analysis of law.
(2)
Forming law. This has two parts, making law and interpreting
law.
(3)
Using law. Law is used in two processes, litigation
and
transactions.
(4)
Communicating law. This has two parts, writing law
and
reading law.
These methods are directed to law students and seek to achieve two
aims. First, the methods assist
them in studying law. Second, the
methods provide a foundation for the later practice of law should
they choose to enter the legal profession.
There is a companion to this book –
Christopher Enright Legal
Reasoning. Legal Reasoning seeks to explain the nature of the legal
reasoning that underlies the methods proposed in this book. By this
means it seeks to justify and defend these methods.
I owe considerable thanks. As ever my family have given me love
and support. I have to thank my friend Terry O’Donohue. His
painstaking editing of this manuscript and carefully thought out
suggestions saved me from much grief. I thank Roger Vickery for his
careful reading and most helpful comments.
This book is currently published in electronic form. This is a dress
rehearsal for final publication. There is good reason for this delay in
formal publication. This book and its companions (Legal Reasoning
and Legal Writing) approach their allotted tasks in a manner different
from the usual approach. By publishing these books in amenable
form the writer is seeking to elicit comment and feedback from
academics, students and others to obtain guidance for how this new
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