1. BRIEFING A CASE

2. FACTS What happened? Tell the story
List relevant facts and eliminate the irrelevant

3. ISSUE What is the legal question in the case?
In other words, what is the court being asked to decide?

4. ARGUMENTS What are the legal arguments proposed by each side?
Why do they believe they are right constitutionally?

5. DECISION (HOLDING) What is the decision of the Court?
Who won the case?
What is the vote count? (scoreboard)

6. RATIONALE What is the legal reasoning behind the decision?
Why did the court decide the way it did?

7. EFFECT
What is the result of the decision for the citizens of the U.S.?
What does it mean for ordinary people?