IRAC Case Briefs for Law School & Bar Prep”

⚖️ Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) – Landmark Case Brief Court: U.S. Supreme Court Date: March 18, 1963 Citation: 372 U.S. 335 Author: Justice Hugo Black ❓ Issue Does the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel in criminal cases extend to felony defendants in state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment? 📜 Rule Under the Sixth Amendment, all criminal defendants have the right to counsel. The Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause incorporates this protection against state governments. 🕰️ Facts Clarence Earl Gideon is the man who was charged with breaking and entering a poolroom in Panama City, Florida. He does not have any money to pay for an attorney so he asks the court to appoint one for him. The Florida trial judge denies his request, informing him that under Florida law, counsel can only be appointed in capital cases. The trial resulted in a conviction against Gideon. He drafted a petition in longhand from his prison pad to the United States Supreme Court asserting...

Thinking about law school? One of the most common questions future law students ask is: “What’s the best major for getting into law school?” While law schools don’t require a specific undergraduate degree, certain majors can help sharpen the critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills that legal education demands. Here’s a breakdown of the top undergraduate degrees for aspiring lawyers — and why they work. ⚖️ ⚖️ 1. Political Science Why it works: With regard to the analysis of the situation, political science shall be considered one of the top majors chosen by students pursuing a career in law. Students are to be provided with information on administration structures, theories on politics, particular policies, and judicial systems – all basics related to laws. 📚 2. History Why it helps: History majors excel in research, reading comprehension, and writing long-form arguments — key skills for law school. You’ll also study how legal systems evolved over time, which can...

  📚 How to Write an IRAC Case Brief Step-by-Step Mastering the IRAC method is a key skill for any law student, paralegal, or legal writer. IRAC — which stands for Issue, Rule, Application (Analysis), and Conclusion — offers a clear framework for breaking down complex legal cases into manageable parts. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to writing an IRAC case brief! ⚡ Step 1: Carefully Read the Case 👉 Concentrate on the facts, the procedural history, and what legal question was at issue. Step 2: Identify the Issue What legal question is the court deciding? This should be in question form. Short and sweet! Step 3: State the Rule No rule or exception was referred to in the short discussion. Step 4: Apply the Law to the Facts The Supreme Court held that the stop-and-frisk was constitutional because it was based on reasonable suspicion. Step 5: Conclusion Quick IRAC Example using Terry v. Ohio: Issue: Was the stop-and-frisk of Terry a violation of the Fourth Amendment?...

  Terry v. Ohio Case Brief (1968) | IRAC Format Case Name: Terry v. Ohio , 392 U.S. 1 (1968) Issue 🔎 Does a police officer's stop and frisk of an individual without a warrant or probable cause violate the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures? Rule 📜 The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. However, a brief investigative stop ("stop and frisk") is allowed when a police officer has a reasonable suspicion , based on specific and articulable facts, that criminal activity is afoot and that the individual may be armed and dangerous. The frisk must be limited to a pat-down of outer clothing to check for weapons. Analysis 🧠 The Court reasoned that the Fourth Amendment’s protections are not absolute barriers to all police-citizen encounters. A balance must be struck between the individual’s right to personal security and the government's interest in crime prevention and officer safety. In Terry’s case...

  ⚖️ Brown v. Board of Education , 347 U.S. 483 (1954) — IRAC Brief ❓ Issue Segregation of public education based on race, even if the "tangible" (facilities) are equal, is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause for minority children under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. 🧑‍⚖️ In earlier cases, including that of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), such statutes had been upheld on the doctrine of their being ‘separate but equal.’ The question still remained whether this doctrine was true under the Constitution when applied to public education? 📘 Rule The Fourteenth Amendment states that under its Equal Protection Clause, “No State shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” 🕰️ Analysis   in the early  1950s, a number of cases attacking the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools were filed in different states—Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.—...

⚖️ Case Brief: State v. Norman (1989) Court : Court of Appeals of North Carolina Date Decided : July 18, 1989 Citation : State v. Norman , 378 S.E.2d 8 (N.C. Ct. App. 1989) Presiding Judge : Justice Arnold ❓ Issue Can a battered woman who kills her abusive husband while he is asleep successfully claim self-defense when there was no immediate threat at the time of the killing? 📘 Rule In North Carolina, a claim of self-defense requires that the defendant: Was not the aggressor; Reasonably believed that deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm ; Used proportional force in response to the threat. 📖 "A killing in self-defense is excused if the defendant had a reasonable belief that death or great bodily harm was imminent." — State v. Clay , 297 N.C. 555 (1979) 🕰️ Facts ✍️ Judy Norman , the defendant, had been subjected to nearly 25 years of extreme and relentless physical, emotional, and psychological abuse by ...

⚖️ Sweatt v. Painter , 339 U.S. 629 (1950) – IRAC Brief ❓ Issue Does the State of Texas, by denying Heman Marion Sweatt admission to the University of Texas Law School solely because he was Black, and instead offering him a separate law school for Black students, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? 📜 Rule The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States provides: “No State shall... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” — U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1 Under this rule, segregation in public education must provide substantially equal educational opportunities . If the separate facilities are not equal in quality, they violate the Constitution. 🔍 Analysis In 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt applied for admission to the University of Texas School of Law, the only public law school in the state at that time. Since it was a matter of course that the institution would return his application automatica...

⚖️ Plessy v. Ferguson , 163 U.S. 537 (1896) — IRAC Brief ❓ Issue Does a state statute which compels racial segregation in railroad cars violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? 📘 Rule The applicable portion of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is: "1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." “No State shall... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” — U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1 Though under substantial change by later case law, this has pretty much long meant to allow...

⚖️ Case Brief: Marbury v. Madison (1803) Court: Supreme Court of the United States Date: February 24, 1803 Citation: 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803) Chief Justice: John Marshall Decision: Unanimous (4–0) ❓ Issue 🧩 Whether or not the plaintiff, William Marbury, has a right to the writ of mandamus he has demanded and whether or not it be in the power of a court of law to issue such a writ? —Further, whether or no the act to Congress, passed on 24th of Feb., 1789, entitled "An act to establish the judicial courts of the United States," gives the Supreme Court of the United States "original jurisdiction" to issue such writ? 📘 Rule 📜 The Constitution is above all laws. Any law made by Congress—if it does not agree with the Constitution—will not apply. In such cases, the judiciary must see whether or not an act is constitutional and can stand. → Established Judicial Review. 📝 Facts ⏳ John Adams made many Midnight Judges in his last days under the Judiciary Act of 1801, a...