How to Brief and Analyze a Case

Briefing a case involves extracting key information and takeaways from a court opinion. Thorough case briefing provides the foundation for legal analysis.

Case Brief Components

• Case name & citation: Identify the case parties and where to find it officially reported.
• Procedural History: Understand the path of lower court decisions leading to the opinion being analyzed.
• Facts: Objectively summarize the relevant factual background without gloss or bias.
• Issues: Note the key legal questions and disputes to be resolved.
• Holdings: State concisely the court’s ruling and legal conclusions on each issue.
• Reasoning: Analyze the court’s justification for the holdings. Explain the applicable precedents and statutes.
• Disposition: State the final judgment and remedies ordered by the court.

Analyzing the Case

With a well-constructed brief in hand, the key analytical steps are:

• Compare holdings to precedent cases – Note if the court followed or diverged from precedents. Understand the evolution of legal principles.
• Evaluate the reasoning – Determine if the court’s rationale and interpretation of authorities is persuasive.
• Check for concurrences and dissents – Dissents often preview the future evolution of the law.
• Understand practical impact – Consider the concrete legal and policy implications of the ruling.
• Identify outstanding issues – Look for remaining unresolved questions that may require future litigation.

Thorough case briefing combined with incisive analysis provides a solid foundation to understand the state of law and build legal arguments.