How 2 Do Things

So you have entered law school or are thinking about law school?  There is a basic formula you can use to answer law school exam questions that will help your answer be complete. It is called IRAC, and stands for Issue, Rule, Application and Conclusion.

Spot the “Issue” by stating the issue you identified. For example, in a tort class, you may write something like this: The first issue is whether John acted in a negligent manner when he was not watching the road.

State the “Rule of law.” For example, you should write something like this: a party is negligent when he or she(i) owes a duty of care; (ii) that party breaches that duty of care; (iii) the breach caused the incident; and (iv) the other party suffered damages.

“Apply” the facts to the law. In other words, take the facts at hand and discuss how they align with each element of the law. In our example, you will need to go through each of the elements and discuss whether they are satisfied or not. Remember that law school exam questions are usually in the gray area. Thus, you should point out the arguments for both sides.

Write your “Conclusion.” To finish off your answer, you should restate the issue and provide your ultimate answer to the question. In other words, select how the ultimate outcome before a jury or judge. For example, state: in conclusion, based upon the foregoing analysis John is likely negligent.

Keep in mind that not all law professors like the IRAC system. Be sure to listen closely to your professor in class or speak with students who have taken the class before to get an idea as to what your professor wants.