A comprehensive guide to the academic and practical skills needed in the study of law, Legal Skills contains a wealth of essential information and helpful advice. The text has been carefully designed to provide support at the start of your studies, and on an ongoing basis throughout the course of your degree, with particular attention being paid to the important subject of career planning and development. The areas covered are - An introduction to law: * The English Legal System and its sources -- what the law is, and where it comes from * Finding your way around a law library * Legal research -- from introductory to more advanced techniques Essential academic skills: * Critical thinking and legal reasoning * Writing and presenting clearly * Studying effectively and dealing successfully with exams Practical skills and career planning: * Communicating as a lawyer, including advocacy and mooting * People skills such as networking, leadership and negotiation * Career development -- the options available, and how to plan for them The text is written in a lively and engaging style and includes a wide variety of learning materials and exercises, designed to test your knowledge as you read. The authors bring a wide-ranging knowledge of the law and legal methods, and a broad appreciation of the issues and challenges faced by today"s law students. With this book, they have produced a compendium of useful information and valuable advice that will be real assistance to law students at all stages of the degree programme. A companion website featuring additional and supporting material can be found at: www.palgrave.com/law/legalskills