ILLUSTRATIONS OF DEFAULT-LOGIC ANALYSIS

Professor Vern R. Walker

Hofstra University School of Law
Hempstead, New York, 11549 USA

Modeling the default logic found in legal documents can be challenging.
These illustrations offer examples, clues, and cues that may help.

Categories include:   Modeling Legal Rules,   Modeling Evidence Assertions,

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and   Modeling Plausible Reasoning

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Modeling Legal Rules

   Analyzing Nested
   Connectives:
   “AND” & “OR”

• Observe the text organization  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• Analyze one branch at a time  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• Nest the connectives  (more, with illustration ...)
  

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Modeling Evidence Assertions

Modeling and Annotating Assertions

• Identify the CONTENT of any assertion.  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• Provide the CITATION of an important assertion.  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• Identify the SOURCE of an assertion.  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• If possible, note the MODALITY of an assertion.  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• If appropriate, note the BASIS of an assertion.  (more, with illustration ...)
  

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Modeling Plausible Reasoning

    "Modus Tollens"
   Plausible
   Reasoning

• Start with the conclusion of the reasoning  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• Locate the reasons given  (more, with illustration ...)
  
• Note the "Modus Tollens" Structure  (more, with illustration ...)
  

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