Step One: Reading the Call of the Question and the Fact Pattern (3-4 Minutes)
Step Two: The Outline (4-5 Minutes)
● Follow an IRAC or a CRAC format.
● All issues are not created equal. Weigh your issues to determine ahead of time how much you will be discussing that given issue, so you know how much time to be spending on those issues throughout your answer.
Step Three: Writing the Answer (21-23 Minutes)
● Issue/Conclusion — What is the legal question that you need to analyze?
○ First, start with a sentence that identifies the legal issue that you are trying to solve and predicts the likely outcome of the case. A good issue sentence should incorporate the facts that give rise to the issues you are trying to answer.
● Rule/Rule Proof/Explanation — What is the governing law for the issue?
○ Second, state the rule or legal principle that the court will use to resolve the issue.
● Application — How does the rule apply to the facts in the fact pattern?
○ Third, apply the rule to your facts, avoiding conclusory statements. Use transition words such as “here . . .” and “since. . . .” The application section is the most important part of the analysis.
● Conclusion — What is the outcome of the issue?
○ Lastly, state one sentence concisely stating (or reiterating) the likely outcome of the issue, based on the application of the rule to the facts contained in the question.
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