Identify the key legal question(s) raised by the case
Summarize the court’s ruling on the question
Explain the court’s reasoning for its decision (including concurrences and/or dissents), and
Explain why you agree or disagree with the ruling
In preparing the essay, read the opinion and consult resources posted on the course WebCampus site, as well as the class reading relevant to the case. This is not a research paper; you are not expected to consult or cite outside sources in order to write the essay. The essay is due by 11:59 p.m. on the due date shown. It should be uploaded to WebCampus as a Word or pdf document.
Each essay is worth 50 points. Your essay will be graded on how well it accomplishes the four objectives listed above (10 points each) as well as the quality and clarity of writing (10 points).
Formatting: Please compose your document using MSWord or a similar program. It should be approx. 700 words, in a readable font (Times New Roman, Cambria) in a readable size (11 or 12), in black text. Name, the class number (JOUR 401), and the assignment name and date in the upper left hand corner. Double space and number the pages. No need for a title, title page, or other fanciness.
Paraphrase and summarize key portions rather than simply quoting them–the purpose of the assignment is to demonstrate that you understand the court’s ruling, not that you can identify the most important passages.
Think about structure and organization. The majority of your 700 words should be focused on summarizing and explaining the court’s ruling and your response to it, not explaining the who/what/where/when that led to the case in the first place. So get past the background in a short paragraph and get to those key points.
Include all of the opinions in your explanation of the court’s ruling–majority/per curiam, concurrences, dissents–they’re all important for precedent, and need to be mentioned explicitly and with the name of the justice concurring or dissenting.
Get the easy things right: writing and grammar count on this assignment, so why give away easy points for misspelling a Justice’s name or getting other basic facts or factors wrong? This is basic professionalism in all media fields.