How to Brief a Case
An excellent overview from LexisNexis:
How to Write a Case Brief for Law School: Excerpt reproduced from Introduction to the Study of Law: Cases and Materials, Third Edition (LexisNexis 2009) by Michael Makdisi & John Makdisi.
What is a Citation?
To search for a case, the citation is:
- Volume number
- Name of book (the "case reporter"--often abbreviated)
- Page number (first page of the case)
376 U.S. 254 is a U.S. Supreme Court case. It is printed in volume 376 of the United States Reports. Page 254 in the book is the first page of the case. The entire case is printed on pages 254 through 276.
For example:
- 376 U.S. 254 is Volume 376 / United States Reports / first page is 254
- 84 S. Ct. 710 is Volume 84 / Supreme Court Reporter / first page is 710
- 11 L. Ed. 2d 686 is Volume 11 / United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer's Edition, 2d / first page is 686
All the above citations are for the same case, but printed in different books by different publishers!
Legal Research
- Westlaw This link opens in a new windowWestlaw simplifies your starting point for legal research. Try Westlaw's new interface for searching and accessing case law, US Code Annotated, statutes, court rules, regulations, and secondary sources including law reviews and journals as well as reference materials.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowFully searchable, image-based government document and legal research database with ongoing comprehensive coverage of U.S. statutory materials and more than 2,300 scholarly journals, all of the world’s constitutions, all U.S. treaties, federal regulations, collections of classic treatises and presidential documents, and access to the full text of federal case law.
Also includes specialized collections focused on:- Criminal Justice & Criminology
- Early English Law
- Foregin Relations of the U.S.
- History of Supreme Court Nominations
- Gun Regulation in America
- JFK Assiassination
- Presidential Impeachments
- Slavery in America
- Texas Legal History
- Women and the Law
