case brief writing 在英美法的学习中可谓是最常用的基本功了

casebriefwriting在英美法的学习中可谓是最常用的基本功了，由于面对的经常是洋洋洒洒的万言判决书，如何抓住case的重点，比如案件事实（facts）、争议点(issues)、法院认定(holding)、推理过程或者判决理由（reasoning），一个简明扼要的casebrief就非常重要了。那怎如何写呢？总结起来差不多有这样几种：一、FPIHRC写法（如下所述）Title(e.g.Roev.Wade)Citation(e.g.410U.S.113(1973))Facts:Summarizethefactsofthecase.Listonlytheessentialfactsthatyouneedtounderstandtheholdingandreasoningofthecase.Procedure:Mostofthecasesthatyou'llreadinlawschoolwillbeappellatecourtdecisions.Inthissection,youwanttolistwhathappenedinthelowercourt(s).Donotgointotoomuchdetail.Oneortwosentencesaresufficientforthissection.Issue(s):Whatis/arethequestion(s)facingthecourt?Formtheissuequestionsinawaythattheycanbeansweredbyyesorno.Holding:Howdidthecourtanswertheissuequestion(s)?YES/NO?Reasoning:Thisisthemostimportantsectionofyourcasebrief.Hereyouwanttolistthereasoningofthemajorityinreachingitsdecision.Youcanactuallybequitedetailedinthissection.Listwhatthelawwasbeforethiscasewasdecidedandhowthelawhaschangedafterthisdecision.Lawprofessorslovetodiscussthereasoningofacaseinclassdiscussions.Concurring/dissentingopinions:EventhoughIreadtheconcurringanddissentingopinions,Irarelybriefthem.However,therearesomecases(e.g.YoungstownSheet&TubeCo.v.Sawyer)wheretheconcurringordissentingopinionsendupbecomingmoreimportantthanthemajority'sopinions.Insuchcases,youshouldaddthissectiontoyourcasebrief.二、FIHRQ写法（注意：下面第一条的citation是每个casebrief都必须要有的，另外还应当包含thecase'stitle）I.CITATIONFromwhatspecificsourceisthecasetaken?Forexample,wasthecasereportedintheU.S.SupremeCourtReports?II.THEFACTSA.Material·Whatmateriallyhappened?·Wasthere,forexample,acollisiononthehighseas?Adisputeoverterritory?B.Legal·Fromwhatlegalcircumstancesdidthecaseoriginate?·Didtwostatesagree,forexample,tosubmittheirdisputetoanarbitraltribunal?WasanopinionsoughtfromtheI.C.J.?III.LEGALISSUESA.Specific·Whatspecificlegalquestionsdoesthiscaseraise?·Forexample,doestheproximityofRuritaniatoZombieIslandgiveRuritaniaalegalbasisformakingaterritorialclaimforZombieIsland?B.General·Whatmoregenerallegalquestionsdoesthiscaseraise?·Forexample,isproximityalegitimatebasisunderinternationallawformakingaterritorialclaimforanisland?IV.THEHOLDING·Whatdecisionwasmade?Thatis,insupportofwhichsidedidthecourthold?·Forexample,inMissouriv.Holland,didthecourtdecideinfavorofMissouriorHolland?V.LEGALRATIONALE·Whatlegalreasoninginformedthecourt'sdecision?·Whatrulesoflaw,forexample,diditapply?·Howdiditinterpretlegalprinciples,documents?·Howdiditconstruethefacts?VI.QUESTIONS·Whatexistinglegalquestions,ifany,areunresolvedbythiscase?·Whatnewquestions,ifany,doesitraise?三、FIHR写法四、FIRAC写法WritingaCaseBriefCasebriefsaredocumentspreparedbystudentsasastudyaidwhentryingtocapturetheessenceandimportanceofappellatecourtdecisions.Acasebriefsummarizesacourtdecisionbyoutlining,ataminimum,thefactsofthecase,thelegalissuesraised,andtherationaleforthecourt’sdecision.Therearemanywaystoorganizeacasebriefandeachstructuremayincludeandexcludeitemsdifferentthanthoserequestedhere.Thereferenceslistedattheendofthishandoutshowthevariationinhowacasemightbebriefed,buttheyalsoprovideadditionalinformationtohelpyoucompleteabrief.So,inadditiontotheitemsandexplanationsbelow,youshouldconsultthereferencesforadditionalclarity.Forpurposesoftheassignment,followthestructureprovidedhereinpreparingyourcasebrief.CaseNameandRolesAsyoulearnedinthecitingcasesassignment,thecasenamewilltypicallyshowtwoparties.Inacriminalcasethefirstpartyisinvariablythegovernment(probablystateorfederal)andthesecondpartyisthedefendant.However,acasebeforeanappellatecourt(whicharethecasesyouwillbrief)mayresultinaswitchwhenadefendant(nowtheappellantorpetitioner)seeksactionagainstthestate(nowtheappelleeorrespondent).SeeFerdico(p.viii)forareviewofdeterminingwho’swhoinacasename.So,inadditiontoprovidingthepropercasecitation,thissectionofthebriefwillalsospecifytheroleofeachparty.ProceduralBackgroundAppellatecaseshave,bydefinition,alreadyhadatrialstage.Infact,dependingonwhatappeallevelthecasenowbeingbriefedisat,itmayalreadyhavebeentoseveralappellatecourts.Thecasebriefshouldidentifythecourtsthathavedealtwiththecaseandindicatethedecisionsthosecourtshavemade.(SeeFerdico’sexample(bottomofp.viiiandtopofp.ix)usingBondv.UnitedStates.)Thesectionsofthecourtopinionthathelpidentifytheproceduralbackgroundwillalsoprovideinformationforthe“roles”sectionabove.Asawarning—basedonbriefsprovidedinotherclasses—somestudentsconfusethecourtopinionforthecasenowbeingbriefedwithopinionsfromearliercourts.ThisisanothergoodreasontoincludetheproceduralbackgroundaspartofacasebriefsinceithelpsyouclarifyhowyourcasegottotheU.S.SupremeCourt(thecourtforallbriefsinthisassignment).Remember,thebriefyouarewritingsummarizesthefacts,issues,holding,andrationaleintheU.S.SupremeCourtopinionforthecasenameyouhaveidentifiedatthestartofthebrief.Don’tconfusethoseitems(especiallythecourt’sholding,rationale,anddisposition)withonesrelevanttocourtopinionsonthiscaseatearlierstages.FactsInoneortwoparagraphs,provideaconcisesummaryoftheincidentthatbroughtthecasebeforethecourt.Thiswillincludeadescriptionofthecrime