Law Documents in a Nutshell

Ramakrishnan M writes "LawMeme has a two part article (more to come) on reading and interpreting Legalese for geeks, titled "Law School in a nutshell". Here is the Part 1 and part 2"

Comments

Get a real legal education

[AntiFreeze]

With the amount of "IANAL" legal advice given on slashdot and through other mediums, I'm actually sort of scared about what this "bringing the law to the layman" type of article will actually accomplish. Now, although this article looks like it's geared more towards helping one disect a court's opinion than help lawyer want-to-bes, I'm still afraid of the ramifications of those who take this "law documents in a nutshell" as a substitute for actually learning the law.

The more people who think they know the law but are unaware of its subtleties and precedants make for a less intelligent exchange of ideas and more "I know what I'm talking about, listen to me, not them" type of exchanges.

I know this for two reasons: I come from a family of lawyers and legal experts, and I tend to fall into the "I'm correct, damnit!" category I just mentioned. Therefore, I'm usually shot down by the legal minds in my family, even when I'm being particularly intelligent in my own right, or *cough* quoting a piece of "+5 Insightful" legal advice gleaned from slashdot.

There is no substitute for a real legal education and pursuing real-world applications (be you a judge, law professor, trial lawyer or law clerk). I guess what I'm really attempting to say is that thinking you know something is no replacement for actually knowing that thing. Not that having a law degree makes you eligable to offer legal advice (I wouldn't ask an IP lawyer for help with closing on a house), but it does place you in better standing.

Use this article to help you better understand the legal document you are reading, do NOT use it to further legal advice to others -- that is not what this article, or any other like it, is meant for.
</rant>

Re:Get a real legal education

[Get Behind the Mule]

I see some sense in what you're saying, but I'm troubled by the implication that those of us without an extensive education must necessarily have little to say about matters of law. If we were talking about some obscure science that is hardly relevant to our daily lives, the idea would be less troubling. But this is stuff that impacts everybody in essential ways, and in a democracy, we have an obligation to form opinions about law, and especially about whether laws should be changed, and whether courts rule properly in their cases.

I also have a family connection to law, since my father is a lawyer. And when I've spoken to him about his cases, ever since I was a little kid, he has always taken the time to explain as much as he could about the facts, the law, the Constitution, and of course all of the coutroom politicking and dynamics that go on. It required a lot of long conversations, but he always encouraged me to develop my own understanding and opinions about what the law is, what it should be, and what the courts did and did not do correctly. I think it can only be in the lawyers' interests if all citizens try to do this as well as they can.