About this course: Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list complements each lesson, providing you with a roadmap to help you explore the subject matter more deeply on your own. Although the lessons may cross-reference each other, they are modular in nature: you should feel free to approach them in whatever order fits your schedule, interests, and needs.

Created by: Yale University

Taught by: Ian Ayres, William K. Townsend Professor
Yale Law School

Commitment	3 weeks of study, 5-7 hours/week
Language	English
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.7 stars Average User Rating 4.7See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Introduction

An overview of what you will learn, how it will help you, and how to get the most from it.

1 video, 2 readings

Categories and Distinctions

Dichotomies and oppositions that will help you categorize legal rules and frame policy questions.

11 videos, 8 readings

Graded: Normative vs. Positive

Graded: Applying the Box

Graded: Paternalism vs. Externalities

Graded: Substance vs. Procedure

WEEK 2

Law and . . .

Interactions between the law and academic disciplines such as economics, philosophy, and psychology.

10 videos, 10 readings

Graded: Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance

Legal Structures

Fundamental frameworks of legal analysis and procedure.

4 videos, 4 readings

Graded: Enforcing Money Judgments and Security Interests

WEEK 3

Evidentiary Tools

Concepts from the law of evidence that can help you respond to questions and make compelling arguments

2 videos, 2 readings

Preparation Tools

The tools you need to get the most out of law school.

4 videos, 2 readings

Graded: Statutory Interpretation

Graded: Tools to Read a Statute

Postscript

2 videos, 1 reading

FAQs

How It Works

Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

Help from Your Peers

Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.

Certificates

Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.

Creators

Yale University

For more than 300 years, Yale University has inspired the minds that inspire the world. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale brings people and ideas together for positive impact around the globe. A research university that focuses on students and encourages learning as an essential way of life, Yale is a place for connection, creativity, and innovation among cultures and across disciplines.

Ratings and Reviews

Rated 4.7 out of 5 of 331 ratings

i have truly enjoyed this course.

Justifies the title of the course. Equips you with a skill-set to understand and appreciate the law better. I believe, every Law student should do this.

Concise and rewarding. Highly recommended!

This is a very intense course that requires a great deal of reading. Well worth the energy. Very insightful and great information for the student interested in law.

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A Law Student's Toolkit

A Law Student's Toolkit

A Law Student's Toolkit