Summary

The laws that influence educational practice originate from various sources, including the U.S. Constitution and federal and state statutory law and their associated cases. Sources like the U.S. Constitution, statues, and regulations are directly stated in the law. However, cases require detailed analysis to extract the legal implications.

Analyzing cases to uncover the applicable law is an acquired skill. “Briefing” a case is one of the most effective strategies for developing this skill. This assignment will help you learn to analyze a case and uncover the key legal components.

These legal concepts will be explored in Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7. 

Review the legal cases discussed in Ch. 1 of The Principal’s Quick-Reference Guide to School Law: Reducing Liability, Litigation, and Other Potential Legal Tangles.

Select one salient course case presented in Ch. 1 or from other resources from this week’s Learning Activities folder. 

You may not use Jackson v. Birmingham (2005) as this is our class case law study for the week. 

Complete the Case Brief Template for your selected case. PLEASE USE THIS TEMPLATE TO COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENT.

A note on briefing cases:  A case brief is basically a summary of the case which includes specific details of the case. I won’t go into detail about how to write a case brief; I will just point you toward the template provided with the assignment, and annotated case brief designed to help you avoid common errors. You're welcome!