Law students prepare for class by writing a case brief: a one-page summary of an opinion in a fixed form. (It is not the same as the long "brief" a lawyer files with a court.) Once you know the parts of an opinion, briefing is a way of pulling out the parts that matter.
Key idea
A student case brief records the facts, the procedural history, the issue (the question presented), the holding, the reasoning and the disposition, and often notes concurrences and dissents.
| Heading | What to write |
|---|---|
| Facts | only the facts the court relied on, in a few sentences |
| Procedural history | what the lower courts did and how the case got here |
| Issue | the legal question, as a yes-or-no question tied to the facts |
| Holding | the answer to the issue, as a rule ("Yes; a plaintiff who…") |
| Reasoning | why the court decided as it did: the rule's source and how it applied |
| Disposition | affirmed, reversed, vacated, remanded |
| Separate opinions | the main point of any concurrence or dissent |
Why it works
Briefing forces you to decide what the case stands for. Copying passages is easy; stating the issue in one question and the holding in one sentence takes understanding. A good test: the holding should answer the issue exactly, and the reasoning should explain why the answer is yes or no. Your brief is also a tool for telling holding from dicta: anything that does not help answer the issue belongs elsewhere.
Worked example: Write the issue
Turn this vague issue into a good one: "Standing."
- Make it a yes-or-no question.
- Tie it to the key facts: members who visited habitats abroad and hoped to return someday.
- Name the legal standard: injury in fact under Article III.
Answer: Do members of a group who once visited endangered species' habitats abroad and intend to return "someday" suffer an injury in fact that gives them standing under Article III?
Worked example: Match the holding
Write the holding for that issue.
- Answer the question directly.
- Keep the key facts and the rule.
Answer: No. Vague "someday" intentions to return, without concrete plans, do not show an actual or imminent injury, so the plaintiffs lacked standing.
Common mistake
Copying long passages and missing the issue. Write the issue as a yes-or-no question that the holding answers. Check your brief: if the holding does not begin with "yes" or "no" (or a clear rule) that answers your issue, one of them is wrong.
This is an educational course, not legal advice.