How to Read a Case
Agenda
Hammontree v. Jenner
ENORMOUS DISCLAIMER!
Before you begin:
- Connect with your core values.
- Discern your immediate goal.
Why take this preliminary step?
Connecting to core values makes the work easier and more fulfilling.
Discerning a goal allows you to focus your attention on what matters.
There is no escape.
Stress is a very bad, no good motivator.
Values
Reading Hammontree v. Jenner for your 1L Torts Class
Goals when reading a case
- Grasp the internal logic and mechanics of the case.
- Synthesize within a broader context.
Why read cases?
Gaps,
Contradictions, and
Ambiguity
Internal logic and mechanics of a case
- Procedural posture
- Legal question(s)
- Relevant facts
- Holding
- Reasoning(s) behind the holding
Aside: How to take notes
Internal logic and mechanics of a case
- Procedural posture
- Legal question(s)
- Relevant facts
- Holding
- Reasoning(s) behind the holding
Oh My God, What is Happening?
I am sure that I’m going to get cold called to explain this and I don’t even know what most of these words mean and how is that whole paragraph just one run-on sentence?