The new edition, previously published as the New Zealand Legal Method Handbook, has been renamed to reflect the introduction of the legal basis content as well as the deeply revised discussion of the principles of the legal method. Through an expanded mix of work and new topics. New Zealand`s two leading legal method books are available at a special bundled price: New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition) by Stephen Penk and Mary-Rose Russell and Principles of Legal Method (3rd edition) by Richard Scragg. New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition) is a comprehensive, easy-to-read introduction that focuses on student learning. It brings the theory to life with many elaborate examples, questions and answers, as well as practical exercises throughout the text and makes its way through the course content throughout the year in detail. This text was previously published as the New Zealand Legal Method Handbook and has been renamed to reflect the introduction of the content on legal bases as well as the deeply revised discussion of the principles of the legal method. New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition) is a comprehensive, easy-to-read introduction that focuses on student learning. It brings theory to life with many edited examples, questions and answers and exercises throughout the text and is an indispensable tool for any student of the legal method. Recently, I was given the task of coordinating a 100-level law course. In preparation, I reviewed a number of current textbooks for introductory courses in New Zealand law. Of the three legal method books I looked at, 1 stood out for the most recent book on the market, Stephen Penk and Mary-Rose Russell`s New Zealand Legal Method Handbook, because it makes the topic so accessible.
The language is natural and easy to follow. Each part contains clear learning objectives, prominent learning points, practical exercises and a targeted list of follow-up readings. The use of examples is useful in bridging the gap between theory and practice. The New Zealand Legal Method Handbook is primarily aimed at first-year law students, but is also useful for advanced law students as well as students and lawyers from other jurisdictions interested in learning more about the New Zealand legal system. The book is divided into 8 parts and contains 23 chapters that introduce and develop the concepts dealt with in the legal foundations and methodological documents. New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition) remains an essential text for first-year law students With technological advances in legal practice, the relevance of legal advisors (paralegals/law clerks) is increasingly being questioned. These advances are likely to deal a fatal blow to the paralegal`s traditional role as the «backbone» of legal aid services. Such disruptive trends require a thorough and honest examination of how paralegals are trained. The focus should be on identifying relevant skills that ensure experienced paralegals and aspiring paralegals are equipped for the workplace of the future.
There is a need for a serious discussion about how paralegal education should be rethought to continue to support the legal profession. This scoping paper focuses on the relevant skills that are at the heart of paralegal readiness and proposes a possible agenda for the transformation of paralegal education. This includes reassessing current skills and planning for skills needed to improve the employability of paralegals. The proposed curriculum reform agenda is as follows: (1) identification of «evolving» competencies in the current curriculum; (2) the recognition and transmission of new skills in the light of future employment profiles of paralegals; and (3) analysis of opportunities and barriers to transforming paralegal education. Principles of the Legal Method (3rd edition) introduces students to the basic concepts of the legal method, and then teaches them step by step how to work with these concepts in a practical way. It begins with an overview of the general principles of the common law system and then, chapter by chapter, reports: (i) how substantive law is to be understood and interpreted (i.e., case law and statutory law), (ii) how case law is integrated into a set of rules, and (iii) how case analysis skills can be acquired and applied; Interpretation of the law and justification of the analogy. While we have seen a significant increase in the development of legal writing resources in recent years, very few are aimed at second-language learners. This article provides an overview of currently available legal writing books based on their relevance for use in EALP writing contexts. She concludes that while some aspects of the available books may be useful, most are generally not suitable for use in such contexts. It then proposes three approaches to developing legal drafting documents that meet the eligibility criteria.
First, the materials can be adapted in a variety of ways to meet the needs of second-language learners studying law in English. Second, documents can take a more language- and discourse approach. Thirdly, packaging materials cannot be supplied exclusively in book form, but in the form of a computerised resource bank. This article is the result of ongoing work on a 3-year university-funded project entitled «Improving Legal English: Quality Measures for Programme Development and Evaluation» at the City University of Hong Kong. The texts complement each other and work together to provide students with the soft skills required to become Miguel Angel Campos-Pardillos, B.