How to Read a Legal Opinion
What is a legal opinion? Opinion written and issued by the court on a particular issue(s) in a lawsuit. Case law Not all lawsuits will generate a published opinion. Most opinions are generated at the appellate levels of the state and federal court systems. Only trial court to publish opinions are the federal trial courts. State courts do not.
Why study legal opinions? Civil law vs. common law systems Legislative law vs. judge made law United States uses a common law system Legislative branch (state and federal) enact law. Judicial branch interpret those laws. To understand the law, opinions must be read and utilized by courts. Concept of stare decisis Use cases to problem solve! Analogical reasoning is an important skill!
Formula for Legal Opinions Name of Case Tells you the names of the parties involved in the lawsuit Usually, the first name is the Plaintiff and second is the Defendant. Can change on appeal. Trial Court: Civil: Plaintiff v. Defendant Criminal: State v. Defendant Appellate Court: Appellant v. Appellee Supreme Court: Petitioner v. Respondent
Formula, cont d. Case Citations Set of letters and numbers How to find the case & whether the case controls. Name of reporter => name of the court U.S. United States Supreme Court F., F.2d, F.3d, etc. Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal F.Supp Federal District Courts (trial courts) Mich.App.- Michigan Court of Appeals Mich. Michigan Supreme Court Volume, name, page number of reporter in which opinion can be found & date of decision. 699 Mich. 107 (1994). 596 F.3d 105 (2015).
Preliminary Information Abstract Brief description of facts, history, and holding Headnotes Breaks case up into topics KeyCites Research Tool by West Attorneys and Law Firms Who represents what party Names of Judges who heard case Author of majority opinion
Just the Facts? Facts 2 types: Procedural Facts Where did the case come from? How? Decisions of lower courts Case Facts Whole story or only those relevant to issue(s) before the court
Issues before the Court Some cases have more than one legal issue opinion will be divided according to issue. Each section usually begins with a brief recitation of the law Statutes Regulations Other cases on same legal issue RULES section
Holding Opinion of court on the issue Generally begins with We hold that Not always. Usually very subjective Federal Trial Court: Usually a judgment is granted or denied. Courts of Appeal & Supreme Courts: Affirm, reverse, vacate decision of lower court
WHY? The Reasoning The WHY is the most important part of a case Where the court provides its reasoning for its opinion. Generally 5 types of WHY: Precedent Textual Intent Tradition Policy
Concurring and/or Dissenting Opinions Judges can disagree with majority, in whole or in part Dissenting Opinion written by judge(s) who disagree with all or part of a majority opinion Concurring Opinion written by judge(s) who agree with all or part the majority opinion, but want to clarify their position on legal rationale of majority, policies, etc.. Can concur in part, and dissent in part. What if there is no majority??
Terms of Art Lawyers speak their own language Latin, English, and French Pronunciation matters! Not okay to: Skip the hard words. Read a case without looking them up. Go to class without a making an effort to understand the language used in the opinion. Wait for someone to tell you what they mean.
What do most law students read for class? Excerpts, not full opinions. Why? Focus the reader on the topic being studied. What may be left out? Facts not relevant to topic being studied Issues not relevant to the topic being studied Some procedural history Some reasoning Concurring and/or dissenting opinions
Winterbottom v. Wright Excerpt or Full Opinion? What is the case citation? 20 Meeson & Welsby 109 (Exchequer of Pleas [England] 1842). What is the first paragraph in brackets? There are 4 judges listed. Which paragraph is the majority opinion? What are the other paragraphs?
Winterbottom, cont d. Facts? Procedural history? Applicable law? Holding? Reasoning? Is there a dissent or concurrence? Words you didn t know/understand?
Important Reading Tips for 1Ls Cases are filled with unfamiliar language. Get a good legal dictionary! Cases take TIME to read and comprehend! Make time to read when you are awake and in an environment that is limited by distractions. Be curious and willing to work to understand. Don t wait for someone to explain it to you! Work for your knowledge. Think about how the case would apply to your problem. Reason by analogy.