INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Why is the author writing this piece? Knowing this purpose can help you better understand the meaning of the text. To determine the purpose, ask yourself the following questions:  What is the topic and discipline? What does the text accomplish? What does the author make you think, believe, or feel? Are the ideas in the text new or borrowed from someone else? The writer’s word choice, especially when it comes to jargon, can give you more perspective on the text. You can determine the intended audience, as well as the tone of the text.  Using jargon and technical language shows the author is writing for people in their field. They might be trying to instruct or may be presenting research ideas. If you're unsure of a writer's intended audience, technical terms and jargon can be a good indicator. The tone is the mood of a text. For example, a researcher might use a formal, professional tone to present their research findings, while a writer might use an informal, casual tone when writing a magazine article. Consider the author’s thesis, as well as any claims stated within the text. In a shorter piece, the entire argument may be presented clearly in the thesis, but a longer text may include multiple claims.  If you’re struggling to find the author’s argument, review the evidence they provide in the text. What ideas does the evidence support? This can help you find the argument. For example, the thesis could read as follows: "Based on data and case studies, voters are more likely to choose a candidate they know, supporting the ideas of rational choice theory." The argument here is in favor of rational choice theory. Evaluate the type of evidence used, such as data, facts, or anecdotes. Then, determine if the evidence fully and accurately supports the argument, or if the evidence is weak.  For example, evidence that includes research and statistical data may provide a lot of support for an argument, but anecdotal evidence might result in a weak argument. You may want to write out the evidence in your own words, but this may not be necessary. Although the text is nonfiction, the author will likely include their own viewpoints. Both the factual information and the author’s ideas are important to your analysis, but you need to know the difference between the two. Read with an eye for the author's use of rhetorical or persuasive techniques.  For example, you might highlight facts and opinions using different colors. Alternatively, you might create a chart with facts on one side and opinions on the other. For instance, the writer might state, "According to the survey, 79% of people skim a ballot to find the names they know. Clearly, ballots aren't designed to engage voter interest." The first sentence is a fact, while the second sentence is an opinion. Does the writer achieve what they set out to do? Based on your analysis, decide if the text is effective, as well as why or why not. For example, you might find that the paper on rational choice theory contains few statistics but many pieces of anecdotal evidence. This might lead you to doubt the writer's argument, which means the writer likely didn't achieve their purpose.

SUMMARY: Determine the author’s purpose. Examine the writer’s use of language, including jargon. Identify the author’s argument. Examine the evidence the author uses to support the argument. Separate facts from opinions in a nonfiction text. Determine if the text accomplishes its purpose.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you want to be a successful legal consultant, you will need to build your resume with meaningful professional experiences. You should start doing this as early as possible. While it may be difficult to work while you are in school, particularly law school, you should at the very least try to work during your summers. In law school, there are often opportunities to participate in summer internships or clinics, which usually provide opportunities to do real world legal work while still being in school. For example, in civil practice clinics, you may get an opportunity to help low income clients with their housing disputes and public benefits problems. Once you are licensed to practice law, you should look for entry level legal experience in a field you are passionate about. As of 2012, most employers looking to hire legal consultants were looking for applicants to have a minimum of three years of general legal experience.  If you know what type of legal consultant you would like to be (i.e., corporate, medical, real estate), try to get a legal job in that specific field.  Entry level legal jobs are usually associate positions with law firms, law clerk positions with organizations, or law clerk positions with various courts around the United States. Once you have some general legal experience under your belt, you may want to look into gaining some entry level consulting experience. A lot of employers hiring legal consultants look for their applicants to have between two and six years of experience in their specific legal consulting field. This step is separate from starting your consulting career because you will need to gain entry level experience prior to becoming a leading legal consultant with an agency or on your own.  In order to gain this consulting experience, start networking early and reach out to community members working in the legal consulting field. Once you get a consulting interview, be prepared for a rigorous process. Consulting interviews often take place in multiple parts with the first couple of interviews being your general personality interviews. However, once you make it past the first couple of rounds you may find yourself taking part in a group interview where you may be asked to solve a problem with other candidates. In this interview, employers are often looking to see how you work as part of a team and how you handle pressure. Finally, the employer may ask you back for one more interview, often the most intimidating, where they may ask you to solve some sort of consulting problem. In this interview they are looking to see how you can handle yourself under pressure.  Be confident going into these interviews. If you have followed the path laid out in this article you will be well prepared for this process.

SUMMARY:
Work during the summers between your school years. Build legal experience. Gain entry level consulting experience.