Deconstructing CRAC: Teaching Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in a Legal-Writing Program

Authors

Larry Howell, Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of MontanaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

First Page

53

Volume

14

Source Publication Abbreviation

Scribes J. Leg. Writing

Comments

This article outlines how to teach law students to draft an effective set of proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law using the CRAC paradigm for persuasive brief-writing by rearranging and rephrasing its components. The article begins with an overview of judicial findings and conclusions and then discusses proposed findings and conclusions that attorneys draft. Next the article explains how to treat drafting proposed findings and conclusions as an exercise in deconstruction. The final part identifies categories of findings and conclusions the writer must be able to identify. Each type is illustrated by examples from a sample set of proposed findings and conclusions in the article appendix.

Recommended Citation

Howell, Larry, "Deconstructing CRAC: Teaching Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in a Legal-Writing Program" (2012). Faculty Law Review Articles. 50.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/faculty_lawreviews/50