Challenges Related to Writing Case Briefs

Case briefing is the art of summarizing complex legal issues as they apply to specific factual situations. As you practice writing briefs, you must present the crucial facts of a case in a very condensed form without excluding any pertinent information. In addition, you must determine the rule of law that applies to the problem. Often, the policy behind the law is important to the disposition of the case. Though challenges may arise when briefing a case, the end result provides a concise report of the significant aspects of a case, making the case easier to incorporate into any policy-related project on which you may be working.

With these thoughts in mind:

Provide an explanation of at least two challenges you encountered when writing your case brief. Then, explain how you addressed each. Finally, explain one way in which case briefing would be relevant to your career as a public administrator or policy practitioner. Be specific.

Support your response using the Learning Resources and other scholarly resources.

Articles

• Article: Kerr, O. S. (2007). How to read a legal opinion: A guide for new law students. Green Bag, 11(1), 51–63.
• Article: Pyle, C. (1999). How to brief a case. Retrieved from http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/brief.html

Optional Resources

Websites

• Quimbee: The Case Brief Database
  http://www.quimbee.com/