Critical reading
The aims of the presentation
• To inform about the basic steps of critical reading
How to read more efficiently?
• Reading case-law is hard job
• Nevertheless: Your future job!
• Read, understand, analyse, create argument based on the case law
Critical reading
helps to read better 
Critical reading
• Reading of statutes and case-law and thinking of the content
• It’s a learned skill!
• To get ideas, deeply comprehend and analyse your task or client’s
question
• carefully, comprehensively, and efficiently
Critical reading
• Thinking while you read
• The aim: comprehension of materials, analyzing legal questions,
• Learned skill: Carefully, comprehensively, efficiently
3 steps of critical reading
• Get the context
• Skim the text
• Read and question the text
Repeat the third step multiple times
Reading judicial opinions
• Caption
• Holdings
• Contextual information
– Procedural history and Facts statement
– Issue or issues
– Court’s analysis
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The rule
The holding or holdings (conclusion)
The reasoning
Dicta
– The judgment
– Concurring or dissenting opinions
How to read a judicial decision
• Start with the hand out’s questions
• After answering the simpler one go the court’s reasoning
• Analyse every step of the argumentations
Conclusion
• Critical reading and analysis skills are essential for you future job
• Read read read and never give up!
Case-law analysis
Case-law analysis
• IRAC structure
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Indentify the Parties
Formulate the legal Issue
Describe the relevant facts
Find out the legal Rules
Rephrase the court’s Analysis (1st and 2nd instance)
Conclusion
In more details in the next lesson
Issue
• Use this formula or any similar to this:
The legal issue in the present case is, whether …..(the main legal
question) when ….. (state the most important facts which are necessary
for the decision).
Conveyor Band
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Legal issue (important legal question)
Parties (who they are)
Relevant facts (what is important)
Rules (which are applicable)
Analysis of courts‘ decision
Conclusion
Brown Machine v. Hercules
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Legal issue (important legal question)
Parties (who they are)
Relevant facts (what is important)
Rules (which are applicable)
Analysis of courts‘ decision
Conclusion
Děkuji za pozornost
Tento studijní materiál byl vytvořen jako výstup z projektu č. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/15.0198
Tento projekt je spolufinancován Evropským sociálním fondem a státním rozpočtem České republiky.
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