101 Things I Learned® in Law School

Book excerpt: A provocative, accessible, and cleverly illustrated guide to legal principles and practice, by a law instructor and internationally experienced attorney This might be the most useful book law students ever read. Not because it contains the details of case law, but because it teaches them how to think like a lawyer. From the fundamentals of effective argument to the principles, structures, and assumptions underlying our legal system, 101 Things I Learned® in Law School makes the impenetrable clear and the complex understandable. Illustrated lessons summarize landmark cases and illuminate a fascinating range of questions, including: • What is the difference between honesty and truthfulness? • Why is circumstantial evidence often better than direct evidence? • How does one find the proper sources to substantiate a legal argument? • Why do states deliberately pass unconstitutional laws? • How can testimony from a hostile witness be helpful? Written by an internationally experienced attorney and law instructor, 101 Things I Learned® in Law School is a concise, highly readable resource for law students, graduates, professionals, and anyone else fascinated--or confused--by our legal system.