Legal Institutions and Methods 2nd Edition

Legal Institutions and Methods is a first year text book introducing students to the Australian legal system, sources of law, access to justice and legal research, writing and study skills. This second edition has been updated throughout with current content. A new introductory section on the legal profession which contains an insightful examination into the wellbeing of law students and legal professionals has also been included.

Dr Anita Mackay and Dr Pascale Chifflet have sourced material from Thomson Reuters and other publications to create this custom book for students at La Trobe University.

This textbook is available to other institutions as a prescribed or recommended text, or for any student or person wishing to gain an introductory understanding of the law combined with practical study skills.

Part 1: Legal institutions

1. What is Law?
2. Introduction to the Australian legal system
3. Sources of law: parliament
4. Sources of law: courts

Part 2: Analysing and interpreting sources of law

5. Reading and analysing cases
6. Introduction to statutory interpretation
7. Approach to solving legal problems: IRAC

Part 3: Introduction to the legal profession

8. Lawyers’ obligations and ethical responsibilities
9. Wellbeing for law students and legal professionals

Part 4: Access to justice

10. Access to law
11. Indigenous Australians

Part 5: Legal research, writing and study skills

12. Introduction to legal research
13. Finding case law
14. Finding legislation
15. Using secondary sources
16. Study skills
17. Preparing for exams