I’m studying for my Law class and need an explanation.
Hi,
Here are the instructions for this case study:
Briefing a Case
A brief of a case is an analysis of the case. Once a case has been
properly cited, the following “essentials” of a case must be analyzed:
- Facts
- Issue
- Decision
- Reason
IRAC Method
To analyze a case successfully, one must identify the issue as well as the rule of law that applies to that issue. In Appendix A under “Legal Analysis and Reasoning,” the book identifies the IRAC method of case analysis. IRAC stands for Issue, Rule (of law), Application, and Conclusion. Here are the basic steps of an IRAC analysis:
- Identify the issue.
- Determine the rule of law.
- Apply the rule of law.
- Draw a conclusion.
Here are a couple of videos explaining the IRAC Method:
IRAC Explained
In this video, Beau Baez gives an overview of the IRAC method for analyzing cases. While he mentions exams here, the information is also applicable to the case briefs you will complete for this course.
Nested IRAC
Now that you have seen how to conduct a basic IRAC analysis, take a look at this video by Beau Baez, In this video, he goes into greater depth on using the IRAC analysis.
Analyze
Utilize the Contaminated Water Case in the next section to complete this assignment. You will refer to the IRAC elements to fill in the information on the worksheet. Listed below is the rubric for you to consult while completing this assignment. The focus of this exercise is on the procedure of case analysis. This assignment is designed to give you an opportunity to apply legal analysis to a case.
IRAC Elements:
- Issue
- Rule
- Analysis
- Conclusion
Submit
Complete your answers by filling in the questions on the IRAC Analysis Worksheet (DOCX). Download this worksheet, follow the directions, and submit the completed worksheet with your answers. Use a naming convention that does not use punctuation or special characters.
The case:
Plaintiff Jane moved from Big City to the southern suburbs. She purchased a house on five acres of land. She realized that she had to get used to country living. She missed all of Big City’s everyday conveniences. However, she vowed never to leave her new home and enjoyed the tremendous peace and quiet of the burbs. She was especially looking forward to using her well-water system of what she thought was the biggest plus, fresh groundwater. Before she moved in, she installed a top of the line filtration system. Little did she know that Big City’s now filled to capacity landfill was located about a mile from her new house. One day while preparing to make a pitcher of fresh lemonade, she noticed something floating in the water. Thinking it was something that fell in the pitcher; she poured out the water and refilled it with fresh water. Carefully examining the pitcher, she noticed that there was a lot more floating the pitcher. Thinking it maybe was a result of her new filtration system, she called the company to test the system. The company indicated that it checked the system and it was working properly. The company indicated that she was not the only one to have this complaint in the last month or so. The water filter company indicated that they believed contaminates are leaching from the landfill into the freshwater aquifer.With the water filter company’s report in hand, Jane drives into Big City to discuss the situation with her lawyer. She contends she should be able to sue under the Federal environmental laws regarding groundwater contamination. What is the initial requirement she must determine?
