A Guide to Prepare the Legal Reasoning / Legal Section of the CLAT Exam

When we think about the CLAT Exam, the Legal Reasoning or the Legal Section of the exam automatically comes to our mind. It is designed to test our reasoning ability and problem-solving capacity. It also evaluates our interest in law by asking questions about various types of law, like criminal law, family law, and much more. Scoring well in this section should be your priority. Being the most important section, it carries a weightage of approximately 25% of the total CLAT Score. It also acts as a tiebreaker when two candidates’ overall score is the same. You may need to join a CLAT coaching institute for the exam.

However, we do not need any particular legal training for this section, but you must have conceptual clarity of laws and morals. Let’s figure out how to tackle the legal reasoning section.

Legal Reasoning- What is it?

Legal reasoning is a part of the CLAT exam, where a candidate is judged on multiple levels. As candidates, we are judged on our interest in law, our clarity of laws and morals, and most importantly, our reasoning ability and problem-solving capacity. The questions are passage-based questions, where, as candidates, we must read them thoroughly and then similarly write our answers.

There are multiple topics on which they ask for our legal reasoning. You can prepare well for these topics at a CLAT coaching institute. However, before we dive into the topics and preparation tricks, we must check out the overall exam pattern and our approach to this exam.

Important Details of CLAT Legal Reasoning Section

We have listed below the important details of the legal reasoning section. You can find these details at any CLAT coaching institute as well.

Weightage of Total Marks	25%
Total Number of Paragraphs	4-6
Number of Questions Asked	28-32
Total Marks For These Questions	28-32
Negative Marking	-0.25

Topics Covered in CLAT Legal Reasoning

Any CLAT coaching in Delhi or elsewhere will give us the same list of topics that are covered in the CLAT legal reasoning section. The Legal Reasoning section of CLAT contains approximately four to six passages, which are either factual recordings of events or hypothetical situations of a legal nature designed to test us. These situations will require us to determine and understand the rules mentioned in the passage, apply these rules to various situations, and comprehend how any changes made to the rules affect their application to multiple situations.

The topics we must cover for CLAT Legal Reasoning are as follows:

1. Constitutional Law
2. Contracts
3. Criminal Law
4. Family Law
5. General Legal Principles
6. Intellectual Property Law
7. International Law
8. Torts

Tips For Answering the Section

We have listed some tips to remember when we answer the CLAT legal reasoning section. Keep in mind that these tips will be given to us by our CLAT coaching institute as well.

• The first and foremost thing to do is read the passage carefully. When we read the passage carefully, we understand the situation mentioned. This way, we can tackle the question without forming any bias of our own.
• We need to know that we cannot assume any details regarding the situation or event. For us, everything that the author has laid down in front of us is the truth. We must stick to the principles and laws mentioned in the passage and not impose our personal moral beliefs.
• We must think logically to solve this section. If we emotionally involve ourselves in the hypothetical situation, we will not make sound decisions. This will be a bad example of our reasoning and problem-solving capacities.
• The answers we write must be precise and relevant to the passage. We cannot beat around the bush; it will do us no good.

These are the tips or suggestions for writing a good answer in the legal reasoning section of CLAT.

Tips For Preparing the Section

We have also mentioned what you must do regularly to prepare yourself for the CLAT Legal Reasoning Section. These suggestions will also be given to us by the CLAT coaching in Delhi or elsewhere.

• You must work on your reading abilities to ensure a faster understanding of the underlying principles and laws mentioned in the text.
• Be updated with the events and cases in the country and globally. The static and current events of the last ten months from the exam date must be stuck in our minds.
• Be aware of the monsoon and winter sessions of the parliament. The decisions made by the leaders, any new changes, and enactments.
• Practise legal terminology, Latin maxims, foreign phrases, and much more.
• Stay updated on topics like LGBTQ+ rights, the death penalty, and all important cases taken over or finished by the courts of the country.
• Do not miss any mock tests or practice tests. These tests give us an experience of the situation in the exam. More importantly, these tests are the best source of tests similar to the actual exam.

We must keep these suggestions in mind when we prepare for the CLAT Legal Reasoning Section.

Books You Can Refer To For CLAT Legal Reasoning Section

There are many books available in the market for the preparation for the CLAT Legal Reasoning Section. Apart from the study material given to you by your CLAT coaching institute, we can also refer to the list of books mentioned here. These books are suggested by various experts, and these books have practice material that is a combination of previous year’s papers and mock questions. These books will help our CLAT Legal Reasoning Preparation.

Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning	KNLC (Knowledge Nation Law Centre) PUBLICATION
Legal Aptitude and Legal Reasoning	KNLC (Knowledge Nation Law Centre) PUBLICATION
Objective Legal Aptitude	KNLC (Knowledge Nation Law Centre) PUBLICATION

These books will be helpful to our preparation. Read them thoroughly. Make sure to take notes. Remember to revise the notes regularly. Solve practice questions to prepare thoroughly.

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Is the Legal Reasoning Section difficult?

The Legal Reasoning Section of CLAT is not difficult. With thorough practice and mock tests, we can clear this section.

2. Is there a sectional time limit in CLAT?

The duration of the exam is two hours, in which we have to finish all the questions. So, there is no sectional time limit in the CLAT exam.

3. What will the format of the questions in the CLAT Legal Reasoning Section be?

We will be given four to six passages. There will be a list of questions after each passage. We must read the passage carefully to answer the questions properly.

Conclusion

You need to be updated on your reading and reasoning skills. Make sure you don’t just read the news but formulate your own views of what you are reading. Overall, the preparation for the CLAT Reasoning section was not that hard. You can consider joining CLAT coaching in Delhi or elsewhere. Remember the tips we have mentioned in the article. Make sure to prepare well. They will give us the confidence to score well. Our persistent dedication will define our results. Make yourself proud of your efforts. All the best for the preparation.