Outline intent

Case Brief Outline

Use this outline when you need a quick case-reading structure before class. It is intentionally short: the goal is to capture what you need for discussion and later review.

Copyable outline

1. Case name and citation
   - Full case name:
   - Court and year:

2. Procedural posture
   - What happened before this court?

3. Key facts
   - Who did what?
   - Which facts matter to the rule?

4. Issue
   - What legal question is the court answering?

5. Rule
   - What rule, test, or doctrine controls?

6. Application and reasoning
   - How did the court apply the rule?
   - Which facts drove the result?

7. Holding and disposition
   - Who won?
   - Affirmed, reversed, remanded, or other?

8. Class notes
   - Professor's emphasis:
   - Questions for outline review:

How to keep it useful

Do not rewrite the opinion. Use your own words, keep the facts tied to the legal issue, and leave room for professor corrections after class.