How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students

(Orin Kerr)

With the first week of law school just a few weeks away for incoming first-year students, I thought I would repost a link to my short essay, How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students. The abstract:

This essay is designed to help new law students prepare for the first few weeks of class. It explains what judicial opinions are, how they are structured, and what law students should look for when reading them.

The essay can be recopied and reposted, so feel free to share it (and professors, feel free to distribute to students if you like — no need to ask for permission).