An Introduction to Legal Reasoning Summary and critique
An introduction to Legal Reasoning is a book about the process by which courts make decisions. Edward Levi tells us that legal reasoning is the process of “reasoning by example”. He describes the process as a three step course in which the rules applied to a previous case are also used in similar cases that follow. When the rule is applied to a similar case, it essentially changes the rule, making law and reasoning continuously change. Throughout the book, cases are given as examples of how law is interpreted in the fields of case law, statutory construction, and constitutional law. He also states how the changing of the community affects the changing of the law. The book improved my understanding of the lawyer’s job to “dispute competing examples”. It is common knowledge that a lawyer’s job is to represent their client in the best way. This book shows that a lawyer is not only representing a client, but also making laws. A judge can rule on a case based on the facts that he is given by both parties and also by previous cases that he feels are similar to the present case.