Ten Instructions for Briefing Cases

A useful article by Southwestern University School of Law Professor Paul A. Bateman

“The brief,” Professor Bateman explains to beginning law students, “is not an end in itself but, like a hammer, is a tool that lets you nail down a legal concept.”  Rather than setting forth a detailed format for case briefing, Bateman describes the why and wherefore of preparing a brief.

To help neophyte law students avoid much of the inevitable frustration of their initial briefing experiences, he cautions them never to lose sight of the target: the final examination. 

By mapping the relationship between case reading, case briefing, classroom discussion, course outlining and exam answering, Bateman provides an instructive and very useful tool for either: (a) designing an Academic Support orientation presentation around, and/or (b) bringing directly to the attention of the students we serve.

(djt)