When you hear a lawyer acing the profession, it is not always the strong and compelling arguments he/she is making, but the strong legal case briefs equally play a role. Before a judge spends days and hours hearing the argument, the first thing he notices is how strong the brief is made, and the majority of the convincing is done through it. It is common for the majority of beginners to not put much effort into writing the briefs, but you might be making a grave mistake.
Always put the same amount of research and effort into writing legal case summaries as you do for your argument. Here are the tried and tested tips for writing a compelling legal case brief:
Accurate Facts
When it involves legal, law, and constitution, accuracy dominates, and when you put effort in presenting every fact with accuracy, like in a precise way and in support with the evidence, it will instantly steal the attention. When you ignore the importance of accuracy and don’t bother to cross-check the evidence or other details, and the same thing gets pointed out by the judge or the court, you instantly lose your impression, and the time for the hearing gets extended.
Language Clarity
You might be the Shakespeare of your time, playing with words and all, but the moment you enter the profession or law, things change. You have to put your creativity in the backseat and focus more on using clear language with less jargon to present your case or brief. Another thing to keep in focus is that you also have to avoid using law-related terminology a lot so that ordinary people with no knowledge of law can also understand the points you are trying to make, especially your client.
Maintain the Chronology
You may have received evidence and certain information in scattered parts and not in the sequence they happened, but it is important that you maintain the chronological order while presenting facts and evidence. It makes it easier for everyone sitting in the court and involved in the case to understand how the case reached its current stage and what actions and sequences led to the filing of the case in the first place.
No Elaboration
As a lawyer, you must have a detailed knowledge of the case you are dealing with, but when you analyse, you will know that most of the information adds no value to the case and can be excluded from the brief. When you include everything in the brief, it doesn’t stay brief anymore, and it takes a lot of time for everyone to go through those. It is best that you don’t elaborate on everything and keep only the precise and needful information that keeps the case relevant.
Highlight The Citation
There is hardly any case fought without citation, and you must be using some yourself to support your case and argument. When citing any case, ensure to highlight or hyperlink it for everyone to look up for the details of the case and how it supports your case. The court also verifies the conviction and the details of the citation case, and highlighting makes it easier and faster.
Making a legal case brief is a very important part of your job if you are involved in law or the legal profession. However, not everyone is a pro in making a brief, but the tips shared will surely help you with understanding the right way of making a brief, if not the best one.