ABSTRACT
Legalreasoningisactuallythekindemployedbylawyers.ThatiswhyIlmar TammeloandJuliusStonechose'LegalSystemsandLawyers'Reasonings'as thetitleoftheirtreatiseonlegalreasoning.1
Lawyershaveaningrainedrespectforfactsandonlyasubordinateinterestintruth.Attriallevel,theystrivetoselectandestablishrelevantfactsin ordertoconstruetheapplicableapplicabilityofrulesoflawwhichsecurea desiredconclusion.Theyfollowgenerallyacceptedlinesofargumentation, includinglogicallyflawedonessuchastheargumentumanalogiumandthe argumentumacontrario.Theyareinterestedinpresentingtherelevantfacts sothattheconclusions,asprescribedbythelegalsystem,willfollow.Obviously,thismodusoperandimayhavelittletodowiththetruth,whichis neithertheconcernofthelawyersforthedefencenorthatofthelawyersfor theplaintiff.Publicprosecutors,though,mustbearinmindthattheirsisa publicresponsibilityandthatitillbefitsthemortheCrowntopresentfalsehoodstothecourts.Thejudgeismuchmoreinterestedinthetruthandinall thefacts,butcivil(andcriminal)proceduredetermineshisaccesstothefacts and,hence,thetruth.Ingivinglegaladvice,lawyerstryinfacttopredictthe outcomeofacaseifthematterwerebroughttotrial?Aprophecyofwhatthe courtwilldoreliesheavilyonthepropergaugingofallrelevantfactsandthe assessmentofapplicablelegalrules.
