case brief:
Case: Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay)
Format: You must follow the Case Brief Template Below:
Case name (date in parentheses)
Name of court hearing the case
FACTS: State the parties before the court and what happened factually. Remember, you should only state the relevant facts connected to the issue(s) that the court seeks to resolve. You do not need to address your case’s procedural history here.
ISSUE: State the question(s) that the court seeks to address in its holding. In other words, what is in dispute?
RULE: State the applied rule(s) of law as articulated by the court. The applied rule(s) of law are also found in the holding, but they only need to be stated once in this section.
HOLDING: State the court’s decision that resolves the issue(s) in the case. Some cases have dissenting and concurring opinions—no need to discuss them.
REASONING: State the court’s rationale for its decision (the holding). Everything discussed there may be relevant to the court’s decision but may not be relevant to the rationale. Focus on the court’s basic reasoning and the specific factors that led to its holding.
ASSESSMENT: Do you agree with the overall outcome of the case? Is the court’s reasoning in its decision convincing? Why or why not?