Learn How to Write Case Brief With Proper Structure

If you are reading this, you probably want to learn how to write case brief. You’ve probably heard a lot about these assignments in various classes at law school. And you’ve also learned that it’s not as easy as it sounds to write a brief. The truth is that most law students absolutely hate writing this kind of papers. So let’s see what a case brief is and why you need to learn how to write case brief. Afterwards, we’ll show you the correct structure of such a brief and provide a quick writing guide. After reading this blog, writing one yourself shouldn’t be too difficult.

In this blog, we will be talking about case briefs written by paralegal students or students who are studying law. In essence, the brief is a short summary of a case that you will most likely use in a classroom discussion. In your brief, you will identify the parties, present the issues, describe the decision of the judge in the case, and then discuss the reasoning behind that particular decision.

Do You Need to Learn How to Write Case Brief?

While we know that most students would prefer not to learn how to write case brief, we are sad to inform you that you most probably have to learn how to write one. It’s not enough to know what is case brief. You must also know the correct structure of one. In addition, you must know how to properly write the brief. Don’t worry too much though; the brief is usually just a page long. This means that you can write one in just 2-3 hours if you know how to do it. Our case brief writing guide is here to help you with this. And keep in mind that what you learn while writing the brief can be very helpful during the final terms.

The Correct Structure of a Case Brief

You know what is case brief, but you don’t know how to structure one probably. You can’t simply make a bullet point list and call it a brief. It doesn’t work like that, unfortunately. While there are many case brief solutions and many examples, we believe that the following structure is the best one for college students:

1. Title and Citation – This is where you show the parties involved in the case. Who is opposing whom? Provide names and all the details on the reporter of the case (you can get this information from the case reporter).
2. Facts of the Case – This is basically a short summary of all the legal points raised in the case and all the relevant facts. Provide background on the case.
3. Issues – This is where you summarize the questions of law that pertain to the case. These are specific and in most cases are presented by the court.
4. Decisions – These, also called holdings, is the answer of the court to each of the questions presented to it by the parties.
5. Reasoning – This is the part where you discuss the rationale behind the judge’s decisions. You can use numbered paragraphs here.
6. Separate Opinions – If there are separate opinions from justices, make sure you note them here.
7. Analysis – Discuss the importance of the case and talk about what information the case shows about the court. If there are any effects on the society or the government, be sure to cover them.

You can refer to this case brief writing guide any time you need to write such a paper. Just follow this structure and remember that the entire brief should be about a page long.

Our Quick Case Brief Writing Guide

To make things even easier (perhaps for college students who receive a brief as homework), we have a short step-by-step guide for you as well:

1. Start by reading the case very carefully.
2. Identify all the facts you must discuss.
3. Write an outline with the ideas you have, following the structure we provided above.
4. Expand every section of the outline.
5. Edit your draft to make sure everything flows well and then proofread the final version at least twice.

It’s just a page long, so the entire writing process shouldn’t take you more than one hour. However, if you need help with writing case brief, be aware that there are writing companies that can help you online. You may not have the necessary time to write the brief yourself, so it’s important to get in touch with somebody who can as soon as possible. You can get some help online and receive a well-written brief in just a couple hours in case of an emergency. All you have to do is read the entire brief carefully and familiarize yourself with the case. It’s as simple as that!