The IRAC Model of Legal Reasoning

IRAC stands for Issue, Rule, Application (or Analysis), and Conclusion. The IRAC
model is used to help law students and lawyers systematically analyze legal problems and hypotheticals.
Even undergraduate law students find it useful both in analyzing problems, demonstrating their legal
reasoning skills, and organizing answers to essay questions on exams.

Sample Contracts problem to illustrate IRAC

Alex verbally agreed to sell Sheri his used car for $3500 on Friday. She agreed to pay him
with a cashier's check for the full amount, after which he would give her title to the car
and his keys. When Sheri arrived to finalize the transaction, Alex told her he had sold the
car to Trevor for $3800 the day before. If Sheri sues Alex for breach of contract, who will
win?
ISSUE: Is the verbal agreement between Alex and Sheri an enforceable contract?
RULE: Sales of goods are governed by the Uniform Commercial Code. The UCC's
Statute of Fraud provision requires that a contract for the sale of a good for more than
$500 must be in writing to be enforceable.
APPLICATION: Because a car is a "good," this transaction is governed by the UCC
instead of the common law. To be enforceable by a court, a contract for the sale of a good
for more than $500 must be in writing. The agreement between Alex and Sheri was oral
there was no written document as required by the UCC's Statute of Frauds provision.
This means that even though Alex broke his promise to sell his car to Sheri, she cannot
enforce that agreement in court.
CONCLUSION: If Sheri sues Alex for breach of contract, he will win because their
agreement was not in writing, as required by the UCC Statute of Frauds.

How to do it?
As an example, we will look at whether someone can sue for the battery as a result of inhaling second-hand
smoke. The issue we will look at is whether there is contact, which is required for a battery claim.

Issue
• First state the question or problem that you are trying to answer (what might bring the parties into
court). This can be in the form of a question or a statement depending on what your reader prefers.
Examples:
o “There is an issue as to whether contact occurred when the plaintiff inhaled the second-
hand smoke.”
o “Does contact occur when one inhales second-hand smoke created by another?”
• However, in legal memos, one may state the conclusion up front (in case the reader is too busy to
read through the entire analysis. Some professors also prefer that you state the conclusion up front.

Rule
• State the rule or legal principle. This may take the form of stating the elements required for a prima
facie case.
o “The prima facie case for battery requires the following elements: an act, intent, contact,
causation, and harm.”
• Some professors do not want you to explicitly state the rule (i.e., “The rule is…”). Rather, they prefer
that you imply it in your answer. In other words, cut to the chase by focusing your rule statement on
the part of the rule or element that is at issue.
o “The offense of battery requires contact with the plaintiff’s person.”
Analysis
• This is where you state your evidence and explain how you will arrive at your conclusion. You may
cite other cases, discuss policy implications, and discuss (discount?) cases that run counter to your
conclusion.
• Make sure that you weigh both sides and make counterarguments where appropriate.
• Use case law, analogizing and distinguishing, and policy (for example, the goals of tort law) to work
your way to a conclusion.
o “In Howe v. Ahn, the court held that noxious bus fumes inhaled by a passerby constitute
harmful and offensive contact. Although the court has not extended this holding to a case
involving second-hand smoke, numerous cases have likened second-hand smoke to air
pollution (for example, Fox v. Abernathy). Policy considerations also favor finding contact in
the present case. If one can prove harm as a result of inhaling second-hand smoke, it is
better for the smoker to compensate the victim than burden the state.”

Conclusion
o “The court is likely to find that harmful contact occurs when a smoker releases second-hand
smoke into the air and that air is inhaled by a bystander.”
1. Sources of law: laws in this country are created at all three levels of government- federal, state, and local.
The forms that these laws can take include statutes, case law, and administrative law.
2. Civil law: a group of laws that allows individuals to seek legal remedies for the wrong done to them
3. Criminal law: the citizens' right to live in peace is violated by a crime
4. 6 essential elements of a contract
1) Offer and acceptance
2) Genuine assent
3) Legality
4) Consideration
5) Capacity
6) In writing
5. Types of contract: bilateral contract and unilateral contact
6. Bilateral contract: requires the offeree to accept by communicating the requested promise to the offeror
7. Unilateral contract: the offeror requires that the offeree indicate acceptance by performing his or her
obligations under the contract
8. tort law: Private or civil wrong for which the law grants a remedy

Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate)

Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies)
Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)