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/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee