One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School

A brief is a written document that presents a lawyer’s argument either before or during a trial to persuade a judge to rule in their favor. Briefs state the facts of the case, the lawyer’s argumentative approach, supporting cases that show precedent, and official case citations. In real practice, if a brief is compelling enough, a judge can make a decision before bringing a case to trial. In law school, students are encouraged to write briefs for the weekly cases they read to help them summarize key case information in preparation for class. The two major non-exam assignments for first-year students include a written brief that they present before an oral argument.

Case reports provide the decisions of legal cases, including a summary of facts, discussions of legal issues, applicable laws, and judges’ opinions. Students read case reports for their weekly assignments, and they attempt to discern legal concepts and rules to discuss in class. For law school, case reports are compiled into casebooks based on course topics.

The case study is a method of instruction in legal education that utilizes real cases to discuss legal concepts. Students read through an assigned case and try to determine how a judge arrived at their ultimate decision, often comparing outcomes to similar cases to understand rules, issues, and concepts.