Dear Professor,
I need to improve my exam writing. More specifically, I am not very comfortable IRAC. Do you have any advice?
Sincerely,
Student
Dear Student,
The best thing you can do to improve your essay writing using the IRAC paradigm is practice. Getting feedback from your doctrinal professors throughout the semester is very helpful. There are also several ways you can check the strength of your own writing. For instance:
1. After you complete a practice essay answer, label each sentence. Is it:
an issue sentence (I)?
a rule sentence (R)?
an application sentence (A)?
or a conclusion sentence (C)?
Each sentence should clearly serve one of these purposes.
2. Your analysis sentences (A) should generally be comprised of two types of words—key “rule words” and key “fact words.” If there are not rule words and fact words together in your (A) sentences, chances are that you are not engaging in legal analysis. You may be simply restating the rules or reciting the facts, as opposed to using them. How do you know?
Grab two different color highlighters, e.g., green and yellow
In your (A) sentences, highlight the “rule words” in green and the “fact words” in yellow
Each of your (A) sentences should contain both green and yellow highlights
Again, if your sentences do not contain both green and yellow, you may be simply restating the rules or reciting the facts, as opposed to using them.
3. You can also review your answer to be sure you are using the full range of facts. After you complete your essay answer, locate the facts in your answer. Each time you spot a fact in your answer, highlight that fact in the fact pattern. When you finish going through your essay, nearly all of the facts in the fact pattern should be highlighted. This is because a typical law school exam contemplates you using most, if not all, of the facts. If only some of the facts are highlighted, you may have missed an issue, missed a counterargument, or engaged in “one and done” by using one (or a just few) of the facts. Also, be sure your answer uses the facts from the fact pattern, as opposed to summarizing or re-characterizing them.
Finally, please do not overlook the importance of rubrics given to you by the professor. I am often shocked at how many students just give a rubric a quick glance to see if they got the gist of the answer. Instead, use the rubric to construct a sample answer or to improve your own answer. There is great value in rewriting a practice answer.