Instruction
How to Brief a Case
Students must use the exact format and headings
To brief a case, you must read the case thoroughly, taking in the main points, then write up a short synopsis of the case. Your brief must contain information from the case organized in the following manner: (1) case name and year; (2) area of law; (3) facts; (4) legal issue; (5) decision; and (6) three reasons.
By organizing case information according to the these categories, students can create a short guide to the case that contains all of the relevant information to aid in understanding the case so that you, as a manager, would be able to explain the case to one of your employees.
The following is a description of the REQUIRED FORMAT & HEADINGS to be included in your Case Brief:
Case name and year. This information is used to identify the case. Under this heading the case name, the court making the decision (Students must select a U.S. Supreme Court case.), and the year the decision was made.
Area of Law. Identify the general area of law (from the syllabus “Course Outline”) and the specific area of law within that.
Facts. The facts section is used to provide the relevant background information from the case to facilitate a full understanding of what lead to the case. The facts section should be labeled and include:
(a) Relevant background information
(b) Legal arguments made by the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s)
(c) Decisions made by lower courts
Legal Issue. The issue is the legal question the court has been asked to address in hearing the case. As such, the issue should be phrased as a question that can be answered by a “Yes” or a “No” and should pertain to the legal matter at the heart of the case. There should be no facts in this section of your brief.
Decision. The decision refers to how the U.S. Supreme Court answered the question identified as the issue. You must answer your legal issue with a “Yes” or “No” followed by a complete sentence to answer the question that states clearly the substantive legal conclusion of the U.S. Supreme Court. Do not simply state that the case was remanded to another court for proceedings consistent with the opinion.
Three Reasons. Provide a minimum of three (separately labeled) substantive legal reasons upon which the court made the ruling that it did regarding the issue. This explains why the court ruled the way that it did.