Case Brief Template (Printable PDF & GoodNotes)
A case brief page for law students, with lines for the case name, citation, court and year, then six boxes: facts, issue, rule, holding, reasoning, and notes for class. It follows the structure most first-year law classes expect.
- Printable US Letter8.5 × 11 in, white paper
- Printable A4210 × 297 mm, white paper
- iPad / GoodNotesAlso Notability and Noteshelf
- E-ink tabletreMarkable, Kindle Scribe, Boox
Free PDF, 1 page, undated. No sign-up needed.
Shown for iPad in the Classic Navy theme. Printable downloads use white paper (there's a dark mode preview below); the e-ink version is black and white.
One page, ready to fill in.
- Write-in lines for case, citation, court and year
- Boxes for facts, issue, rule, holding, reasoning and notes for class
- Undated, so you can print or duplicate it as often as you need
Who it's for
First-year law students, paralegal students, pre-law and undergraduate law students, and anyone studying for a law exam who needs to brief cases quickly and consistently. Students preparing for moot court or a bar exam can also use it to revisit landmark cases quickly, since every brief follows the same order.
Getting the most from a case brief.
Keep facts to what mattered
Only the facts the court relied on. If removing a fact wouldn't change the outcome, leave it out.
Write the issue as a question
"Does a promise without consideration bind the promisor?" A clear question makes the holding easy to state.
Separate rule and holding
The rule is the legal principle applied; the holding is how the court answered this issue. Mixing them is a common first-year mistake.
Summarise the reasoning in steps
Number the court's main steps. It's what you'll be asked about in class, and it's how you'll apply the case to new facts.
Use class notes for the professor's angle
After class, add what your professor emphasised, any dissent discussed and how the case fits the course. That's what goes into your outline.
Included in 1 planner
This template is a page in this planner. Open it to see everything else that comes with it.
Get it inside a full hyperlinked planner
The law school planner includes this page alongside dated month and week pages for your year, with side tabs and links between every page. Pick your device and theme, preview it free, and pay only when it's right.
- Dated pages for the whole year
- Tap a tab or a date to jump there
- GoodNotes, Notability, Samsung Notes, e-ink and print sizes
Opens the law school planner with the Law School section switched on.
Or read about the law school planner first.
What is IRAC?
Issue, rule, application (or analysis) and conclusion: a common structure for legal analysis. The case brief uses it as issue, rule, holding and reasoning, with facts and class notes.
How long should a case brief be?
One page is ideal. A brief is a study tool for class and outlines, not a summary of the whole opinion.
Can I use it in GoodNotes with my casebook?
Yes. Many students brief cases in GoodNotes next to a PDF casebook, using split view.
What's in the law school planner?
Case briefs, a reading and outline tracker and Cornell notes, plus school and study pages and daily planning.
Should I brief every case?
Most students brief every assigned case in the first year, then move to shorter briefs or book-briefing as they get faster.
