IRAC METHOD

WHY DO WE ADVOCATE THE IRAC METHOD?

 

The IRAC method in law is a great way to answer problem-style law questions.  What does IRAC stand for? It stands for four components: Issue, Rule, Analysis and Conclusion. By using this IRAC method in law, you can break down any scenario into these components which will help make your legal analysis and answers more organized than if they were not structured like that!

 

WHAT IS THE IRAC METHOD?

​

The IRAC method in law is the heart of legal analysis. It allows you to think about any problem as an equation with two sides - one side representing your observance or breach of contract and another representing their respective remedies (such as damages).

 

The beauty in this system lies not only within its simplicity but also because it forces lawyers into thinking critically by identifying areas where they may have overlooked something important before moving on too quickly! If you want learn how IRAC works then keep reading.

​

WHO INVENTED THE IRAC METHOD?

​

IRAC is an acronym that stands for “initials of genre-relevant aspects.” Though many scholars reference IRAC in legal writing literature, there is no clear record as to its genesis and underlying principles.

 

The IRAC Method was a military training exercise that was created to teach new recruits how they could use their ability in problem solving when on battlefields. This idea came about during World War II where there were many problems with raw soldiers being drafted into combat without any form of instruction for what would happen next - this led them having little sense towards tactics which ultimately resulted failure at times even though some did surprisingly well given these circumstances.

​

IRAC helped kick start a revolution in law school course design. The early 1960s saw only one bar-review course available for students at Michigan's Wayne State University, taught by Professor Melvyn Nord whose lectures covered every topic but did not spend much time on essay writing because that was how things were done then--and still are!

​

When Professor Josephson started teaching legal research and writing in 1969, the course had two major differences from other bar-review courses: Professors who were seasoned law professors did all of their lectures and he emphasized relying on IRAC analysis for assessment and legal writing.

 

Josephson's Bar Review Centre became dominant in Michigan within a few years, and by 1973 they were enrolling 14k students across America. By 1980 Josephson had moved his company to Los Angeles where he took on the growing California bar-review market that was worth an estimated $4 million annually at its peak. IRAC has been used to help win World War II, make Mike Josephson a multi-millionaire and it can work for you.

​

HOW DO I USE THE IRAC METHOD?

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

HOW TO FIND THE ISSUE IN A LAW ASSIGNMENT

​

Answering problem-based questions can be difficult, as they often rely on knowledge of the law rather than direct requirements. In these cases, it is essential to identify the core issue in order to correctly answer the question. This can be done by asking relevant legal rules and making sense of the scenario presented. With this approach, you will be able to pinpoint the key information needed to answer the question correctly.

​

When confronted with a legal issue, it is essential to consider the precise question you must answer in order to offer counsel to the parties concerned. This question will ultimately determine the outcome of the case.

 

For instance, if you are unsure about whether a contract is binding, you will need to consider whether there was a correct offer and an acceptance mirroring that offer. If not, then the contract may not be enforceable under our law. By thinking about the specific issue at hand, you can begin to research the relevant law and determine how it applies to the situation.

​

EXAMPLE OF ISSUE

​

Issue: When is a contract binding?  What is an offer?  What is acceptance? Is a contract binding when there was no offer?

​

Issue spotting is a critically important skill for law students. In order to provide sound legal advice, it is necessary to identify all of the relevant issues in a problem scenario. Unfortunately, many students have difficulty spotting issues, which can lead to them providing inaccurate or incomplete advice. Issue spotting can be tricky, but there are a few tips that can help.

 

First, it is important to use the IRAC method when analyzing a problem. This will ensure that you consider all of the relevant legal issues. Second, familiarize yourself with the types of issues that commonly arise in different areas of law. If you know what to look for, you will be more likely to spot an issue when it arises. Finally, bear in mind that the legal topic you are tackling can include many legal issues. In fact, usually there are around 3 to 5 legal issues in a standard problem scenario.

 

It is necessary for you to identify every single legal issue and provide a separate rule and analysis for each of them to reach the final advice that you will give to the persons mentioned in the scenario. By following this method, you can improve your issue spotting skills and become a better lawyer.

​

WHAT IS THE RULE?

​

In order to determine which specific law is applicable to the legal issue at hand, one must engage in a process of Rule identification. Rule identification involves some digging through study materials to find the right cases and/or statute sections which will help answer the legal question asked. The rule should be stated as a general principle, and not as a conclusion to the scenario being analyzed.

 

The Rule Identification step is a critical part of the IRAC method, as it allows us to move on to applying the law to the facts of our particular situation. Without correctly identifying the applicable rule, we run the risk of misapplying the law and coming to an incorrect conclusion. As a result, before continuing with the analysis, care must be made to make sure the right rule is found. After applying the rule, you may go to IRAC's third stage, analysis.

 

ARTICULATE RULES

​

Rule identification is important for a law student or professional for many reasons. It allows you to determine which legal rules are relevant to your problem scenario and to apply the rules correctly to find the right conclusion. Rule identification also demonstrates to the examiner that you understand how to make a distinction between the legal issue and the legal rule applicable to the scenario. This is a very important skill for any law student or professional.

 

You can use our law books to help you identify the relevant legal rules. Our law books give you the information you need while focusing and breaking down the information using IRAC. All of the information provided in our subject specific text books is divided into the IRAC information you will need.

​

HOW TO DO THE ANALYSIS

​

Analysis is the longest and most important section of an IRAC answer. Here, you will apply the rule to the specific facts in the problem scenario. You will need to rely on the facts to describe how the rule you are applying can result in a conclusion. It is essential that you talk about both sides of the case.

 

Analysis requires a great deal of critical thinking and could be compared to solving a puzzle. All of the pieces must fit together in order for the picture to be complete. Analysis is where you will demonstrate your understanding of the law and how it applies to the given facts. To be successful, you must use our law books which provide numerous examples and explanations to help with your analysis.

​

Analysis is key in IRAC writing - without it, you will not be able to properly apply the legal rule to the facts in the problem scenario and reach a conclusion. Our law books can help you with analysis, by breaking down the rule into its component parts and explaining how it applies to the facts of your problem scenario.

 

Once you have carried out your analysis, you should be able to reach a well-reasoned conclusion that is backed up by the rule and the facts. If you find that your conclusion is not supported by your analysis, then this means that you have not really used IRAC correctly and will need to go back and revise your work. Analysis is therefore essential in ensuring that you are using IRAC correctly and producing a well-reasoned piece of legal writing.

​

When analyzing the legal rules applicable to the scenario, you will likely have to call on the facts of specific cases which you identified. The best way to use those cases is to compare and contrast the facts in those cases with the facts in the problem scenario. Then, you should look at the decision in the case and figure out whether the court would be likely to make the same decision if they were faced with ruling on the facts included in the scenario.

 

The simple rule here is that if the facts of the scenario are similar enough to the facts of the case, then the judges would be likely to follow the decision in the case. However, it is important to remember that every case is unique and that courts may sometimes deviate from previous decisions. As such, it is always important to carefully analyze all of the facts and arguments before coming to a conclusion.

 

Another important note is your course conveyers are likely to test you on an area that is controversial so the analysis is also expecting you to clarify what the law says.

​

HOW TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION

​

The final step of using the IRAC method is writing a conclusion that explains the most probable outcome, which you will be able to identify after you have applied the rule to the issue and analyzed it. State the outcome of your analysis in a clear and concise manner.

 

For instance, "The contract between plaintiff and defendant is non-existent" is a good example of a very well-formulated conclusion. Do not forget that the outcome cannot be vague; it has to be transparent and clear. Use our law books which help you with a conclusion. The different sections will give you an excellent idea of how to formulate your own conclusion based on your specific legal problem.

 

Conclusion-writing is a skill that takes time and practice to perfect, but by using the resources available to you; you can write great conclusions for your IRACs. Using IRAC you should produce  the case study conclusion. The scenario does not provide enough information for a definite conclusion to be reached. It is deigned to inspire a debate. Never sit on the fence. Put yourself in the Judged position to predict what the outcome of a judgement would be.  

 

The application of the law in this case would depend on X, Y and Z. Therefore, you can use words such as “is more likely than not” when discussing the legal rules and applying them to the legal issues. Make sure to discuss those X, Y and Z factors when analyzing the legal rules and applying them to the legal issues. Our Q&A Series law books can help you reach a conclusion by providing information on the law and how it applies to different scenarios.

​

CONCLUSION

​

The scenario does not provide enough information for a definite conclusion to be reached; with more information about X, Y and Z we can give more accurate advice.