This book evolved from lectures presented to working paralegals as the first in a series of “foundation courses” aimed to supplement their education and experience and to enhance their ability to competently handle tasks generally done by lawyers. The course, and this book, is a condensed version of a full semester course in Aristotelian logic, tailored for people engaged in the analysis of legal issues, either as employees or as students. There are no Venn diagrams and no Burlegian symbols—only words.

 There are several objectives. The first is to foster the students’ awareness of their own reasoning processes by discussing the significance of words, their definitions, uses, and relationships.  It also provides tools for testing whether conclusions are valid or not, using formal (logical) analysis. The broader objective is to provide a foundation for further study and to integrate the use of principles of effective communication and the interpretation of semantics. Another more specific goal is to show the application of the tools of logic in a legal context, particularly the formal analysis of case law.