How to Write a Law School Case Brief

Writing a  case brief  can be rather easy once you’ve got the format down. While this guide focuses more on the structure of a written brief, you should keep most of the elements when doing a book brief as well. Read through a case once before you begin briefing, and then focus on the important parts of the case, which will become the elements of the case brief: Difficulty:  Average Time Required:  Depends on length of case Here's How Facts:  Pinpoint the determinative facts of a case,  i.e., those that make a difference in the outcome. Your goal here is to be able to tell the story of the case without missing any pertinent information but also not including too many extraneous facts either; it takes some practice to pick out the determinative facts, so don’t get discouraged if you miss the mark the first few times. Above all, make sure you have clearly marked the parties’ names and positions in the case (Plaintiff/Defendant or Appellee/Appellant).Procedural History:  Record what has happened procedurally in the case up until this point. The dates of case filings, motions of summary judgment, court rulings, trials, and verdicts or judgments should be noted, but usually this isn’t an extremely important part of a  case brief  unless the court decision is heavily based in procedural rules—or unless you note that your professor loves to focus on procedural history.Issue Presented :  Formulate the main issue or issues in the case in the form of questions, preferably with a yes or no answer, which will help you more clearly state the holding in the next section of the case brief.Holding:  The holding should directly respond to the question in the Issue Presented, begin with â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no,† and elaborate with â€Å"because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  from there. If the opinion says â€Å"We hold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that’s the holding; some holdings aren’t so easy to pinpoint, though, so look for the lines in the opinion that answer your Issue Presented question.Rule of Law: In some cases, this will be clearer than others, but basically you want to identify the principle of law on which the judge or justice is basing the resolution of the case. This is what you’ll often hear called â€Å"black letter law.†Legal Reasoning: This is the most important part of your brief as it describes why the court ruled the way it did; some la w professors dwell on facts more than others, some more on procedural history, but all spend the most time on the court’s reasoning as it combines all parts of the case rolled in one, describing the application of the rule of law to the facts of the case, often citing other court’s opinions and reasoning or public policy considerations in order to answer the issue presented. This part of your brief traces the court’s reasoning step by step, so be sure that you record it without gaps in logic as well.Concurring/Dissenting Opinion:  You don’t need to spend too much time on this part other than the pinpoint the concurring or dissenting judge’s main point of contention with the majority opinion and rationale. Concurring and dissenting opinions hold lots of law professor  Socratic Method  fodder, and you can be ready by including this part in your case brief.Importance to class: While having all of the above will give you a complete brief, you may also want to make some notes on why the case is important relevant to your class. Jot down why the case was included in your reading assignment (why it was important to read) and any questions you have about the case as well. While briefing cases is always helpful, your brief is most important in the context of the class that it is for. What You Need Case bookPaper and pen or computerAttention to detail

William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet - 1529 Words

Shakespeare was a well-known 16th century playwright and author. In a range of his sonnets and his popular play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, he presents his views and ideologies of love and challenges the conventions of love at the time. Shakespeare does this in a multitude of ways that subtly but effectively changes society’s view on love. Throughout the majority of his sonnets and in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Shakespeare goes against the Petrarchan views on love which were courtly love and also were the norm at the time. Petrarch was an Italian scholar and a poet who wrote sonnets which formed ideas on how love should be and by the 16th century, these ideas of love were the conventions. In sonnet 116, Shakespeare writes ‘love is not love’. The first ‘love’ being courtly love and the Petrarchan views on love, the second ‘love’ being true love and Shakespeare’s ideologies of love. Shakespeare is telling the audience at the time that the love they think they feel isn’t ‘true love’, it’s just the idea of love and courtly love rather than true love. This ‘mocking’ of the conventions at the time links to many other sonnets but mainly sonnet 130. The whole sonnet is a satirical piece that presents Petrarch’s ideologies of love in a way that makes them seem idiotic and untrue. The theme of courtly love being very different to true love is also seen in Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo is in courtly love with Rosaline, he talks about the feeling of love and how he deserves to have her, then when heShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1287 Words   |  6 PagesLizzy Baginski English Composition 2 Mr. Spera March 10, 2015 Romeo and Juliet Research Paper The movie Romeo and Juliet is a modern classic film that took place in 1996. Overall this is a timeless story that everyone should go and watch. This movie has an intriguing plot line that tells the story of two feuding families, The Montagues and The Capulets, and how the children of these two different families fall in love. The two children overcome various obstacles such as hiding their chemistry fromRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet 966 Words   |  4 Pages Beauty Over Gold â€Å"Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.--William Shakespeare, 1623. In his book As You Like It, William Shakespeare pointed out the supremacy of love rather than the want of gold and wealth. Truly, beauty is more important to thieves than wealth. Many of the thieves in this world would rather have an elegant woman than to obtain precious rubies. After all, what good is a prosperous man if he doesn’t have a charming woman? Two famous men grab my attention who didn’t fear forRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet Essay1024 Words   |  5 PagesRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. The plot is based on an ItalianRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe play Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. Its plot is based onRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet861 Words   |  4 Pagesgreatly shown in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It was love at first sight with Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Meeting at a party and falling in love to get married without even spending quality time with each other. Romeo and Juliet couldn t tell there parents because the Capulets and Montagues are long term rivals. Both Romeo and Juliet had to find different ways and excuses to make this marriage work. A big problem was developed. Romeo kills Juliet s cousin and is banishedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1770 Words   |  8 Pagesof Romeo and Juliet. The story of two destined lovers who were killed by their own doing. But what if they weren t two destined lovers who got unlucky, but doomed partners that were never going to have a good-life to begin with.William Sha kespeare gives us a view of early signs of gang conflict in the early age of Verona, Italy. He gives us a perspective of the norms and customs of Italy during the Setting of William Shakespeare s most famous story. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, givesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1616 Words   |  7 Pageslove can also cause some of life s most controversial battles. These battles could stem from lack of patience, disagreement of moral values, and in some cases, an absence of attraction overall. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the issues that drive Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet s to each of their dreadful misfortunes are inevitable. When it comes to many of Shakespeare s plays, Aristotle s theory is used to describe them as tragedies. Romeo and Juliet is known by many as a tragedyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1264 Words   |  6 Pagestheater-going public the most important dramatist in English literature, Shakespeare oc cupies a well-known position in the world of talented authors. His canon contains thirty-seven plays, written in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Additionally, throughout the years, they continue to sustain critical attention, with the majority of his works circling tragedies, one being Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet speaks to the timeless appeal of star-crossed lovers. Their loveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet924 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy that follows the so-called love of two teenagers. The two fall in love at a masked ball and have a secret marriage. Throughout the play, their actions show how ridiculous love is, and how it is a danger to anyone who become twisted in its choking grasp. However, in the death of the youth and survival of the elders, an alternative explanation for the tragic events may be found. Although Shakespeare seems to be mocking love throughout the play, itRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1279 Words   |  6 Pagesour lives. The great, classic writers teach timeless, valuable life skills. Shakespeare was the greatest writer of all time. His writings mainly consisted of dramas and sonnets. Romeo and Juliet, as well as, A MIdsummer Night’s Dream were written about the same time period. He was able to inter relate everything that wrote. For example, the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe could possibly be an advertisement for Romeo and Juliet. The basic structure of the two dramas is the same; two forbidden lovers meet

Male Gender Roles Free Essays

Male Gender Roles by Daniel Huerta Introduction to Sociology Sociology 1301 Spring 2011 Houston Community College Northline Campus Ms. Nichole C. Boutte-Heiniluoma Male Gender Roles As soon as a person is born, society has taken care of designating what gender that baby is born into. We will write a custom essay sample on Male Gender Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now From the blanket in which the newborn is wrapped in, be it blue for boys or pink for girls, for the longest time has had this responsibility. In school the child is being taught by teachers that boys play with boys and girls with girls and the boys play with cars and get dirty while the girls play with dolls and need to act like little ladies. From there it is the parents’ responsibility and they continue to instill in their children the duties or responsibilities that the gender that they were assigned ought to be. Girls are taught to cook and serve the males and the boys are taught to work and take care of the home, wife, and the family. While this is going on in the child’s life, the media like television, books, and other forms of information play a large part in continuing to emphasize the rules and duties of each gender. So constant reminding is at hand for what society has labeled each gender to be and act and that which through generations and familial traditions has been. But what happens when a young boy decides to bend the gender role line and begins to dress up in girl dresses and loves to wear jewelry? Society begins to dictate that that child is wrong because traditionally that is not what boys do. But what happens when adult men begin to do things that normally society says those things are done by females only? Recently the term â€Å"metrosexual† has come into play in society. Men who love to shop, hang out with girlfriends, have facials, dress sharply, and yet still are considered heterosexual males. I have picked two articles from the internet that talk about these two different types of behavior that currently boys and men are expressing. Even though society dictates what is right and wrong for gender roles, society has accepted the change in heterosexual males but is not tolerant for a young boy to dress up in girl clothing. Why is this? Gender roles are cultural and personal. They determine how males and females should think, speak, dress, and interact within the context of society. While various socializing agents like parents, teachers, peers, movies, television, music, books, and religion-teach and reinforce gender roles throughout the lifespan, parents probably exert the greatest influence, especially on their very young offspring. † â€Å"CliffNotes. com. Gender Rol es. 25 March 2011. † As stated by CliffNotes. com, parents are the ones that will shape how the child will be in society. Twenty years ago when American society was very traditional parents were one-sighted even though they may have had offspring that they may have considered different, but because society stipulated a certain norm, those offspring were forced and raised according to tradition. Boys wore pants and t-shirts and tennis shoes and they played outside with other boys at cowboys and Indians. They got dirty because â€Å"they’re just being boys† was heard constantly growing up. That was twenty-some years ago, but now society has evolved and is changing. Take for instance the case of five-year old boy who loves to dress up in girl dresses. Has society evolved to the point that this is acceptable? Dyson, a five-year old boy recently was showcased on national television because his mother has written a book about her son and his desire and gratification of wearing girl dresses and tutus. â€Å"My Princess Boy† is a book written by Cheryl Kilodavis about her 5-year old Dyson and the cruel reaction he faces when he wears sparkly frocks, twirly skirts and jewelry. â€Å"Princess Boy at Center of Biting Debate. Abcnews. go. com. 29 Oct. 2010. † Ms. Kilodavis began noticing Dyson’s desire to wear girls clothing and accessories and she got worried because of the scrutiny her son would endure as he grew up. She wanted to make sure that he was psychologically stable so she had Dyson evaluated by a psychologist and a medical team because as she stated, â€Å"Everything out there is always about gender identity confusion, and I wanted to make sure my child was happy and with who he was. † According to the evaluation, Dyson was normal with just a flare for the pretty and sparkly things even though he still like to play â€Å"boy† sports. According to Ms. Kilodavis she even tried to redirect his affection to girl clothing by providing the school where he attended with masculine dress ups like a band member uniform and even a karate uniform, but to no avail, Dyson preferred dressing up in girl dresses. This is what made his feel happy so she decided to accept her son for the way he was and wrote the book to make it available so that society can understand and accept children like Dyson. Even though there are still traditional parents she has received comments from both sides of the spectrum. Some say she shouldn’t exploit her son just to sell books others say she needs to protect him from how society will treat him as he grows up. Other have commented that they too have â€Å"princess boys† and they thank her for sharing her story because they felt they were alone in society with a child like hers. Even men have written to Ms. Kilodavis showing their support wishing they had a mother like Dyson’s when they were growing up because they too considered themselves â€Å"princess boys† but were not allowed to act on those desires and impulses. As of 2003 a new term has evolved for straight, heterosexual males, â€Å"metrosexuals†. The term means that straight, heterosexual men like to so things that normally women love to do and men in general hate doing. How is this different that what Dyson is going through? â€Å"Metrosexuals, according to the New York Times, â€Å"are straight urban men who are willing, even eager, to embrace their feminine sides. † They love to shop with their gal pals. They were designer jeans, fashionable tops and have long conversations about thread counts. Some even wear makeup and nail polish,† writes Tom Purcell. The Metrosexual Male. Tom Purcell. 26 June 2003. † Again even though Mr. Purcell’s article is negating that it is correct for heterosexual male to behave in this manner, it shows us that it is common practice among this type of group of straight men. Why did these men begin to act on their desires to do the things that describe a metrosexual? Was it tha t they too had these impulses and desires since they were young but society did not allow them to act on them because of a stricter power over them, like their parents for instance, that didn’t allow them to be totally happy? Now that them men are adults they feel they can do whatever feels right to them and what identifies them as the male they want to be. Yes they don’t wear dresses like Dyson does, but maybe deep down they wish they could but to a certain degree they feel that society may look down upon them and doing the things they do is probably what society can handle from them at this point in time. Perhaps in the future society will be more understanding and allow not only metrosexuals, but all men to be who they feel they are. Mr. Purcell continues to disagree with the metrosexuals saying that society has been the one who has allowed this to happen. He continues to say that if you go to a playground you can still see the difference between boy and girls. He states, â€Å"By nature, girls are softer and gentler. They like fashion and nail polish and playing with dolls. By nature, boys are rough and tumble. They like trucks and tools and they couldn’t care less about their clothing or how their hair looks. Until they become feminized metrosexuals, that is. But again these boy and girls in the playground are doing what their parents are teaching them what they were taught when they were young, but Mr. Purcell doesn’t know what they young boy in the playground really wants to do or be. Mr. Purcell is following society and tradition in the concept of boys are boys and girls are girls. An internet article put out by www. toptenz. net/top-10-metrosexuals. php lists the top 10 public eye figures ranging from rocker Dave Navarro at number 10 who was once married to Carmen Electra to the number one spot which is David Bechkham, the famous English soccer player married to an ex-Spice Girl, Victoria Bechkham. These men are accepted by society for whatever role they play in the media. Even though they probably wear more makeup than their wives but it’s okay because we all like them and we look up to them. So in conclusion should society dictate what a young boy or an adult male should act or be? Since gender roles are created by society and society seems to be evolving, society needs to be more understanding and accepting to the different types of personalities and realize that what is wrong now may be correct in the future. In Dyson’s case maybe a television or movie producer should turn his mother’s book into a television show or even a movie for the big screen. Since the media plays a very large and important part in society if Dyson’s story is told for the whole world to see could that change society’s view for his love of wearing girl clothing like the acceptance of metrosexuals because of the fact that we admire famous actors and sports figures that are considered metrosexuals and we want to be like them and dress like them. That is the beauty of individualization, each person is a different world and unique and should not be judged by how they act or dress but accepted just the way they are because we might learn something from them that can benefit society we live in and make it a more tolerable place for difference and diversity. REFERENCES 1. CliffsNotes. com. Gender Roles. 25 Mar 2011 2. Italie, Leanna. (2010). Princess Boy’ at Center of Biting Debate [Electronic Version] abcNews. go. com 3. Purcell, Tom. The Metrosexual Male. 26 June 2003 4. TopTenz. net. Top 10 Metrosexuals PHOTO REFERENCES Dyson the Princess Boy †¢ www. theage. com. au/lifestyle/princess-boy-sparks-gender-furore-20101101-179rn. htm †¢ www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/01/04/princess-boy-dyson-kilodavis_n_804133. html? ir=Books Famous Metrosexuals †¢ TopTenz. net. Top 10 Metrosexuals How to cite Male Gender Roles, Papers

Th Hunger Games free essay sample

The Hunger Games The book starts out in Panem where it once was North America. Panem is a TV dominated dictatorship that is ruled by the Capitol. Panem is divided into twelve districts. Every year, Panem hosts a yearly game, the hunger games. The hunger games consist of twenty four tributes, one male and one female from each district, age twelve to eighteen. The twelve tributes are chosen by lottery and are placed in a arena to fight for there life. Only one lucky winner could win the hunger games. The main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen sacrifices her life in place of her sister which was chosen to be a tribute into the hunger games. With more complication, Peeta Mellark, a bakers son was also chosen into the hunger games. With Peeta in the hunger games with Katniss, this brings this story into a nerve racking tension, thrilling action, and engaging love story. We will write a custom essay sample on Th Hunger Games or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Through out the story Katniss learns how to survive in the game and comes across decisions that could end her life. The game creators exposes harmful events into the arena that brings the tributes together to kill one another for the survival of the game. Katniss chooses to be independent during the games which would help her kill the other tributes one by one with out any guilt. With Peeta in the games, Katniss struggles and her successful plans fail, which brings Katniss into another brainstorming situation. Throughout the game, situations becomes more tighter and thinking of what to do next was not a choice. At the end of the story all tight ends becomes loose but situations begins to ravel up again between Katniss and another important character. This bearing ties up the first book but it introduces the next book of The Hunger Games series.