A two-hour course for attorneys and paralegals: list every premise an argument depends on, mark each supported, assumed or unknown with its source, and do it before drafting begins.
What you will be able to do
- Surface the premises your argument depends on: Use AI to break an argument outline into separate factual and legal premises, including the ones your team took for granted and never wrote down, then edit them into distinct, testable statements.
- Label each premise supported, assumed or unknown, with a real source: Apply a stated standard and record the source reference, jurisdiction or forum, and reason for each label. Replace vague support like 'per client' or 'in the file' with a precise citation.
- Keep allegations from turning into facts: Spot premises whose only source is an allegation, a client statement or an opposing party's assertion, and phrase them so their status stays visible in anything drafted from them.
- Check authority and fit before a draft relies on it: Confirm a cited authority exists and supports the proposition by reading it in an appropriate source, assess whether it is binding or persuasive for your forum and decision-maker, and keep the premise labeled assumed until those checks are recorded.
- Find the load-bearing premises and update them when evidence changes: Rank premises by how much of the argument rests on each, assign an owner and next action for the riskiest ones, and update only the affected rows when late evidence arrives. Weigh each source by quality, not by how recent the document is.
- Hand the attorney an inspected foundation: Assemble a complete premise check and a summary that keeps unresolved items visible. Separate the questions the attorney must decide from the items you can resolve yourself.
Taught at learn.c-o-u-r-s-e-s.com: lessons that adapt to your level, an AI tutor you can ask anything, quizzes and flashcards, and a certificate when you finish.
