Answering legal problem questions
The assessments in this unit require you to answer legal problem questions that have been designed to assess your understanding of the topics examined and your ability to critically analyse and apply the law to given fact scenarios under exam conditions.
Problem questions are questions based upon a fact scenario that could occur in real life. These types of questions give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to identify legal issues and find the relevant legal principles in primary materials, your understanding of a particular area of the law and your skills in applying the law to a given fact scenario in order to reach a conclusion about the likely legal outcome. A good response to a problem question will be logically structured, accurate, clear and comprehensive, with each major issue dealt with systematically. In this document (see below) we have provided several sample answers to a problem question in contract law to show you how different students have approached their written answers to the question under exam conditions. The sample answers should be read in conjunction with the assessment criteria. They are not ‘model answers’ and you should not consider that any of them are necessarily ‘correct’ because they all have weaknesses. You should always be guided by your own analysis and reading of the textbook and other materials we have provided. After you have carefully read through the problem question, consider how you might respond (thinking about both the content and the structure of your answer). You should then read through the sample student answers and think about how well the sample answers satisfy the assessment criteria. The sample answers have been supplied by former students to assist your learning. We trust you find them useful as you prepare for your assessments in CLAW5001. Additional Readings and resources Please go to the eReserve (https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/31807/external_tools/476) folder on this site to access the following book chapters: Robin Creyke et al, Laying down the Law (LexisNexis Butterworths,10th ed, 2017), ch 21 ‘Study and Exam Skills'. Richard Krever, Mastering Law Studies and Law Exam Techniques (LexisNexis Butterworths, 8th ed, 2013), ch 2 'An introduction to law studies and law exams'. Richard Krever, Mastering Law Studies and Law Exam Techniques (LexisNexis Butterworths, 7th ed, 2010), ch 5 ‘Some Basic Rules’. Richard Krever, Mastering Law Studies and Law Exam Techniques, (LexisNexis Butterworths, 9th ed, 2016), ch 9 ‘Sample Examination Questions and Answers – Contract Law’
Please go to eReserve (https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/31807/external_tools/476) to access the following journal article: John H Wade, ‘Meet MIRAT Legal Reasoning Fragmented into Learnable Chunks’ (1990-1991) 2 Legal Education Review 283. Click on the link below for the Law School's online legal writing and legal skills resource that brings together an array of knowledge, advice, tips and resources about legal writing and skills. Sydney Law School Legal Writing Online Resource
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