All the basic skills you need to study Law, from using legal information to legal writing and researching.
Scots law deals with many specific subject areas, such as criminal law, the law of contract and the law of delict, among others, and often differs in key areas of statute and practice. However, the methodology of studying the law is very much the same.
This revised and updated second edition is a fingertip guide to legal method, showing you how to go about your study of law. Get started with the use of legal information; find out what statutory interpretation and judicial precedent are; learn about finding and using case law and legislation online; gain skills and confidence in searching and evaluating information including books, journals and libraries; and make your study international with a guide to sources from Europe and further afield.
Legal Method Essentials is the concise guide to the subject for students of Law in Scotland.
Key Features:
. Describes the aspects of legal method specific to Scotland
. Key skills explained for law students
. Handy tips for legal writing and research
. Breaks down Scots Law into digestible parts
. Shows the student how best to cite, reference and source material
Dale McFadzean is a lecturer in law at the University of the West of Scotland. His areas of expertise include constitutional law, administrative law and legal education in general and he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Director of the Scottish Universities Law Institute and a board member of the Juridical Review. He is the author of a number of successful legal textbooks and a contributor to the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia.
Lynn Allardyce Irvine is College Librarian for the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her professional interests include information literacy, the study of law and learning spaces.

Dale McFadzean is Lecturer in Law at the University of the West of Scotland. His areas of expertise include constitutional law, administrative law and legal education in general. Dale is a a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Director of the Scottish Universities Law Institute, and a board member of the Juridical Review. He is the author of a number of successful legal textbooks, including Scottish Administrative Law Essentials (2006), Public Law Essentials (2007), Scots Law for Students: An Introduction (2007), An Introduction to Law and Legal Obligations, 2nd edition (2009) and Legal Method Essentials (2010). He is a contributor to the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia.

Lynn Allardyce Irvine is College Librarian for the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her professional interests include information literacy, the study of law and learning spaces.

Table of Cases
Table of Statutes

1. Introduction


2. Finding the Law: Sources and Tools


3. Introduction to Legislation and the Parliamentary Process


4. Finding and Using UK and Scottish Legislation


5. Introduction to Statutory Interpretation


6. Introduction to Case Law and Judicial Precedent


7. Finding and Using Case Law


8. Introduction to European and International Sources


9. Books, Journals and Other Sources


10. Solving Legal Problems: Writing and Research

Index