With a friendly and informal writing style, this orientation to law school features:

• insight into how and why law school works the way it does
• tools, techniques, and information for understanding first-year substantive law as fully as possible
• an overview of the American legal system and court structure
• a concise review of basic civics, including the structure of American government and sources of law
• introductions to analytic tools and methods of reasoning
• clear descriptions of basic legal concepts, such as standards of review and burdens of proof
• a look ahead at the goals of a legal education--and the life, duties, and responsibilities of being a lawyer
• exercises that allow students to independently test their understanding of the material in a particular section
• visual aids that help students grasp and remember the material
• a short primer on American history and legal philosophy as each is relevant to the study of law provides a self-study resource that students may use as they need