Understanding What it Means to Brief Your Cases

Are you thinking about attending law school, or have already begun? If so, you may be driven to succeed by a complete fear of failure—after all, competition can be fierce in the higher learning atmosphere, but especially in a curriculum like that of law. Online distance learning at a law school like ___ presents the opportunity to cut out a lot of the stress as you can work from your home and skip so many of the headaches like trying to figure out an alternate place to live close by, commuting, finding childcare if you already have a family, and so much more—even cutting out the need to worry about what to wear! In the end though, the work is the same, and there will be plenty of it.

Law students especially must master formidable study skills to succeed, with the goals of attending law school being one, to learn how to be a lawyer, and two, to pass the state bar later. Attending classes and studying could take up as much time as working a full-time job, and you may have another job too, so structuring your study time is of the essence. Much of your studies will be centered around reading, preparing you for the reality of being an attorney later, where you will perform enormous amounts of reading over the duration of your career. Outlining will be key, from the beginning, along with the need to learn to brief cases and do so for those you are expected to study and know during classroom discussions.

In a comprehensive brief, you will make extensive notes regarding the following:

• The issues in the case you are studying
• Details regarding what was decided
• In-depth analysis of the decision

While some professors may request briefing and will even require a certain format for you to follow, many others will never care whether you did so or not—and neither will the court. Like taking notes in class and outlining, the brief is for you. This is a serious tool to help you—and ultimately, your client also, as you will be able to clearly understand and remember the facts, the issues, and the rationale behind the decision. If you are engaged in one or more study groups during law school, discuss different methods of briefing (and outlining, and studying overall) with classmates. You may learn even more about how to dissect a case and be able to use their methods in other situations too.

Our mission at CDTA College of Law is to educate, train, and develop extraordinary legal advocates. Your legal education will be comprised of bar-tested academic subjects, skills training, and values reinforcement. Upon completion of your four-year course of study you will be fully qualified to take and pass the California Bar examination. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.