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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 18. Professional And Occupational Licensing
Agency 35. Board of Bar Examiners
Chapter 20. Law Reader Program Rule
12/22/2024

18VAC35-20-350. Basic legal skills.

Article 1
First Year

Introduction to basic legal reference materials (including judicial, legislative and administrative primary and secondary sources) and their use; techniques of legal reasoning, analysis and synthesis; legal writing styles. Familiarization with the structure of the federal and state court systems, the concept of case law in a common law jurisdiction, fundamental principles of stare decisis and precedent, the legislative process, principles of statutory construction and interpretation. Reader should be assigned projects of increasing difficulty such as: case abstracts, analysis of a trial record to identify issues, short quizzes to demonstrate ability to locate primary and secondary sources, office memoranda or trial-oriented memoranda of authorities to demonstrate ability to find the law applicable to a factual situation and to differentiate unfavorable authority, and an appellate level brief.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-3922 and 54.1-3926 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR168-01-04 § 9.1, eff. March 1, 1993.

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As a service to the public, the Virginia Administrative Code is provided online by the Virginia General Assembly. We are unable to answer legal questions or respond to requests for legal advice, including application of law to specific fact. To understand and protect your legal rights, you should consult an attorney.