309: Tips for Reading a Case

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today's topic came from a listener question asking us to clarify how to find the black letter law in a case. Join us for this episode as we share tips for reading cases efficiently in preparation for class and exams.

In this episode we discuss:

• What to keep in mind when reading cases for class
• How casebooks are organized
• A refresher on case briefing
• Clues for finding the rules in a case
• Understanding how facts are legally significant in a case
• The typical structure of a case
• An example of a fictional case taken from the July 2008 California performance test

Resources:

• Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/)
• Podcast Episode 1: Mindset – The Key to Success in Law School? (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-1-mindset-key-success-law-school/)
• Podcast Episode 102: How to Read Cases and Prepare for Class in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/16176-2/)
• Podcast Episode 171: Building the 21st Century Casebook (w/Vikram Savkar) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-171-building-the-21st-century-casebook-w-vikram-savkar/)
• Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam – Read the Case (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/ahead-of-the-curve-reading-cases-from-syllabus-to-exam-read-the-case/)
• Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam – Brief the Case (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/ahead-of-the-curve-reading-cases-from-syllabus-to-exam-brief-the-case/)
• Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam – Prepare the Case for Class (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/reading-cases-from-syllabus-to-exam-prepare-the-case-for-class/)
• Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam – Prepare the Case for the Exam (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/ahead-of-the-curve-reading-cases-from-syllabus-to-exam-prepare-the-case-for-the-exam/)
• 6 Easy Tips for Reading Cases More Effectively in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/6-easy-tips-for-reading-cases-more-effectively-in-law-school/)
• Pierson v. Post (https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/casebrief/p/casebrief-pierson-v-post)

Download the Transcript  (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-309-tips-for-reading-a-case/)

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Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee