For a business law class, Sierra reads and briefs several court opinions using the IRAC method of legal reasoning. What do the letters I, R, A, and C abbreviate? What are the steps in the IRAC method?

The letters I, R, A, and C are the first letters of "Issue," "Rule," "Application," and "Conclusion.".
The IRAC method of legal reasoning requires Sierra or any other student or reader to first summarize the important facts of a legal case and state the salient issue or issues. The second step is to de¬termine and set out the rule of law that applies to the facts to resolve the issue. The third step is to apply that rule to those facts. The application of the rule requires an answer to the question posed by the issue. This answer may involve one or more different types of legal reasoning, but those reasons should be thought out and expressed clearly. Finally, the conclusion derived from the application of the rule to the facts is stated. This is sometimes referred to as the result or the outcome in a case—who won; who lost; what the award, if any, consists of; or what the parties are, or are not, required to do next.