Unnecessary verbiage should be eliminated. This is the process of advocacy. In all of these, the lawyer is trying to convince someone. However, what we often fail to emphasize, because it may seem so obvious to us, is that before advocacy is possible the lawyer must have something to advocate, i.e., the answer to the problem. That is why good advocacy can take place only after the problem solving has been completed.
Students have difficulties when they are unsure whether to apply problem-solving or advocacy skills.
IRAC is a problem-solving strategy. By proceeding methodically through IRAC, a student can solve even the most difficult legal problem. But an IRAC solution, particularly a long one, is not good writing because it fails to pay attention to the needs of the reader. That requires an advocacy strategy. Some students attempt to use advocacy skills for problem solving.