Identify the legal issue that the opinion is addressing. Often, the cases assigned in a casebook are shorter excerpts of a much longer opinion, so the issue will be apparent.

Case Brief Template
Name of case
Start by saying the name of the case at the top of your case brief—for example, Smith v. Jones.
Parties
Identify the parties. Who is the plaintiff? The defendant? Once you identify who’s who, you might want to abbreviate the parties as “P” and “D.”
Procedure
Identify the procedural posture of the case. Are we at the trial or appellate level? State or federal court? At which stage in the litigation was the case in when the issue arose?

Identify the legal issue that the opinion is addressing. Often, the cases assigned in a casebook are shorter excerpts of a much longer opinion, so the issue will be apparent. Be mindful of where in the casebook a particular case is being presented—i.e., if the case appears in a section on negligence in tort law, even if the court also mentions causation or damages, there’s a good chance the main issue will be negligence.

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