TIPS IN CASE DIGEST

Part of studying law is learning how to digest cases. If you are a first year student the
idea is totally new. You could be surprised of the number of cases that each professor
will assign to you. Now, you are in panic of what you should do.
Case Digest
- a written summary of the case.
- helps in separating issues
- focus only on certain relevant issue- a useful study aid (no need to go back on cases
just to remember)
Parts of the Digest:
1. Caption - must include the date it was decided and citation.Includes the petitioner,
respondent, and ponente of the case.
2. Facts - pinpoint the determinative facts. Do not include all the facts.
3. Procedural History - what has happened procedurally in the casea. Case filings.
Motions of summary judgement. Court rulings. Trials and verdicts or judgment
4. Issues - must be answerable by yes or no.
Ex. "Is the contract void?"Or use "Whether..."
The answer in the question has to be answered into the ruling.
5. Ruling - usually "yes" or "no".Look for the lines in the opinion that answers the issue.
Reasoning - why the court ruled that way, tracing the reasons step by step.
Pyramid rule in answering essays.
i. Conclusion
ii. Cite particular law
iii. Application of the law (jurisprudence)
6. Concurring and Dissenting Opinions
http://atorni.blogspot.com/2012/08/tips-in-case-digest.html

When we talk about digestion, digesting, digest, what comes to mind?

Food? Science? Readers Digest?
Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more
easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown
of large food molecules to smaller ones. -Wikipedia
Well, case digests are a huge part of life in law school. No student ever graduates from law school without
at least digesting one case. Um wait, uh except maybe if youre some kind of a scavenger, I hope not.
A case digest or a case brief is a written summary of the case. A case sometimes involves several
issues. Digesting the same would help the student in separating one issue from another and
understanding how the Court resolved the issues in the case. The student does not need to discuss all the
issues decided in the case in his case digest. He only needs to focus on the relevant issue or the issue
related to the subject that he is taking. A case digest may also serve as a useful study aid for class
discussions and exams. A student who has a case digest does not need to go back to the case in order to
remember what he has read.
Format of the Case Digest
I. Facts. There is no need to include all the facts. Just include those that are relevant to the subject.
II. Issues. Include only those that are relevant. Issues are usually framed in the form of questions that are
answerable by "yes" or "no," for example, "Is the contract void?" Sometimes,
students frame the question by starting it with the word "whether," for example, "Whether the contract is
void" or "Whether or not the contract is void." The answer to the question has to be answered in the
ruling.
III. Ruling. This usually starts with a "yes" or a "no." This is the answer to the question/s involving the
issue. After the categorical yes/no answer, the reason for the decision will be explained.
Heres my realization, the point of making law students make a case digest is to let that student
himself/herself breakdown the long boring case into a smaller component more easily absorbed by the
student. To make the long case with lots of distracting details into something more direct to the point of
the law, depending on which subject one is asked to make a digest. Theres no sense in chewing the food
for others to eat. (gross!) However, if you do decide to just borrow somebodys digested cases (eat the food
chewed on by another), just make sure that you have at least read the full text of the case first. Otherwise,
the whole point of making law students digest a case would just be an epic fail

http://atorni.blogspot.com/2012/08/case-digest.html