How to Read a Legal Opinion

Orin S. Kerr has the perfect short essay for new law students: How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students (there are links to download this article or open in a PDF on this page.)  This article, originally published in 2007, has been updated and is still of great use to new law students.  New students have a lot to learn regarding the Socratic Method and preparing to be called on in class.  Kerr’s article helps by showing the structure of judicial opinions and what to look out for when reading them.