BriefWalters v. YMCA

• Identify theparties.

Possible questions to answer would be:Who is the plaintiff?The defendant?The appellant?The appellee?

• What is thehistory of the case?

Possible questions to answer would be:Who won at trial court?Who won at the lower appellate level?Who won in this decision?Please note that this is the history of the case in courtnot the facts of the case.

• What are thefacts?

Possible questions to answer would be:What happened that caused the plaintiff to sue?What facts did the Court find relevant in its decision?

• What is theplaintiff's theory?

Possible questions to answer would be:Why he thinks he should win?What facts does the plaintiff think are important?

• What is thedefendant's theory?

Possible questions to answer would be:Why she thinks she should win?What facts does the defendant think are important?

• What is thelegal issue?

this will be a question that can be answered with yes or no and should end with a question mark.

• What is theholding of the Court?

this will be either yes or no and will answer the legal issue.

• What is thereasoning of the Court?

Possible questions what facts and laws did the Court rely on to decide the case?; why was the case decided in the winner's favor?; why did the other side lose?

Was this case decided correctly and why?