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How to Offer Your Opinion, Analysis,
or Reaction
to Someone Else's Ideas in the Classroom and in Study Groups
Adapted from Study
Guides & Strategies,
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn
(Sept. 1998).
| Assumptions |
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A sense of competition underlies the informality
of American classrooms.
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Voicing a well-informed opinion is important
to your overall academic evaluation.
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First listen and try to understand others'
opinions.
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Respect theirs, and insist on being
respected for yours.
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In most law school classes, evaluations are
NOT made by professors throughout the semester.
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Final grades are simply determined by your
score on the final exam.
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| Procedure |
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Read and understand the case and case notes.
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In class, listen carefully to what a professor
or another students says.
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As you read or listen, mark or make notes
of the points you wish to discuss or respond to.
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Find the case's reasoning and restate it in
your own words.
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Decide what your opinion or reaction is to
the court's reasoning.
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Gather support or evidence for your opinion
from the case as well as from your own experience, other readings,
class discussions, library sources, and experts in the topic.
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At the appropriate time in classroom discussions,
don't be afraid to voice your opinion, even if you differ from your
professor or classmates.
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During class discussion, keep your comments
short.
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Restating the court's main idea shows that
you have read and understood the court's points.
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But: spend more time discussing your opinion,
reaction and analysis of the topic.
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Be certain it is clear to the class and professor
when you are summarizing the court and when you are giving your opinion.
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In making an argument, you can begin with
an example from the casebook or or teacher (imitation can be a form of
flattery), but generally use your own examples to show your agreement with
their point of view.
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This demonstrates independent which should
be valued in an academic setting.
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| Material taken from Gail
M. Zimmerman, Tips
for International Students, Asst. Dean
of First-Year Students and Academic Counselor, Dartmouth
College |
| Bob Nelson, et al, Learning Resource
Centers, Rutgers University (June, 1993) (initially created by); Joe Landsberger
& Peter Turi, ISS/Learning Center, University of St. Thomas. (February,
1996) (Database adapted & modified in HTML); Website: http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides |
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