Read THE LEGAL BEAGLE PROJECT

1. Facts:

a. Briefly describe the facts.

b. Which facts were key to the outcome?

2. Legal issue:

a. What legal issue(s) does this case illustrate (i.e. why is this case in the chapter)?

b. What are all of the elements of the main legal rule that this case illustrates? For instance, if the case is about undue influence, list ALL of the elements that the court in this case said had to be proven by the plaintiff.

3. Winning Party

You must thoroughly read the case to determine which party won at the court level of the opinion in the textbook – e.g. the case Bagley v. Mt. Bachelor, Inc., on was decided by the Supreme Court of Oregon. Therefore, I am looking for the party who prevailed in the Supreme Court of Oregon. In that case, the Supreme Court of Oregon found in favor of Bagley (the plaintiff) and remanded the case to proceed to trial:

a. What legal arguments were made by the party who won in this court decision?

b. What facts, legal reasoning, social policy, and ethical principles would support a ruling for the winning party?

c. What were the probable motivations behind the winning party’s actions leading up to the dispute?

4. Losing party’s point of view:

a. What legal arguments were made by the losing party?

b. What facts, legal reasoning, social policy, and ethical principles would support a ruling for the losing party?

c. What were the probable motivations behind the losing party’s actions leading up to the dispute? After the dispute?

5. The point of view of the highest court which ruled in this case:

a. What rule did the court apply?

b. What facts, legal reasoning, social policy, and ethical principles did the court use to support its ruling?

c. What were the probable motivations behind the court’s decision?

6. Different Rules or Facts: “What if the court adopted a different legal rule?”

a. Search the web for other articles or a similar case or call an attorney or business professional who may have experience with this type of issue. Ponder and reflect to compare this case to recent news and cases. This is the really cool part. You will be thinking like a legally astute manager, owner, or professional as you read, analyze and compare cases to draw your conclusions. Some neat ideas to help with your analysis: If the outcomes of the recent cases you found are different, can you make sense of the different outcomes? Are there different legal standards that make for different outcomes? Is there a trend leaning more in favor of a plaintiff or defendant’s position? Are the outcomes the same or different simply because the facts are similar or dissimilar? What accounts for the same or different results? Write a brief one-paragraph summary of this case or article and compare and contrast the case in the book to your article or case:

b. Change it up: Pose the question “What if the facts were different?” Create changes to the facts that would probably result in a different outcome of the case and, using critical thinking and legal reasoning, tell why your change in facts would make a difference. Write your thoughts here:

7. Your point of view of the case in the book:

a. Do you agree or disagree with the actual outcome? Why or why not?

b. Relate the case to your own experience, if applicable, or to the experience someone else has shared with you. IF you do not have an experience to share, discuss how will you apply the lessons from this case to your future career?

c. Write recommendations to avoid future legal problems and that best suit the objectives of a firm or company in your chosen career field.