Elements of the Case Brief

• Heading
• Procedural History
• Key Facts
• Question Presented or Issue(s);
• Courts' Holding or Decision
• Court's Reasoning

Heading

• Case Name
• Citation including court and date
• Casebook page reference

Procedural History

• What the plaintiff sought in the trial court (the Cause of Action and Relief)
• What the trial court did
• Who the appellant is and what the appellant sought in the appellate court
• What the appellate court did

Key Facts

	Significant facts which the opinion accepts as given.
	Do not include facts which the opinion concludes as true after a substantial course of reasoning
	Do not include facts that are not essential to the court making a decision

Question Presented or Issue

Courts' Holding or Decision

Court's Reasoning

• Court's justification for its decision
• Include Facts which court concludes are true.
• Include Law which court concludes applies.

If you are going to skimp on doing case briefs, don't skimp on the reasoning.

If your case brief is more than 1-2 handwritten pages; - - it is probably too detailed. 

Case Briefs should be brief!