Beethoven’s Fifth and IREAC:
Proving the Power of Structure
in Legal Writing
Professor Ann Cronin-Oizumi
Saint Louis University School of Law
St. Louis, Missouri
June 8, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia
F-I-R-E-A-C CASEBRIEFING TEMPLATE
Professor Ann Cronin-Oizumi
Saint Louis University School of Law
F – FACTS
Case Name
Court
Year
Appellant
Appellee
Plaintiff
P’s Claims . . . Allegations . . . Defenses
Defendant
D’s Defenses . . . Couterclaims against the Plaintiff
Other Parties
Claims . . . Allegations . . . Defenses
Procedural Facts
Historical Facts
I – ISSUE 1 – the legal ISSUE stated by the court
R – RULE – the legal RULE or precedent stated by the
court
E – the court’s EXPLANATION of the rule
A – the court’s APPLICATION of the RULE
to the facts of this case
C – the court’s CONCLUSION (the OUTCOME on this ISSUE)
CHECK:
Who won on this issue?
What REMEDY or REMEDIES did the court or jury award
the winning party?
THINK:
What good arguments can you make for the losing
side that the court did not discuss or adopt? (factual, legal,
policy arguments, etc.)
I – ISSUE 2 – the legal ISSUE stated by the court
R – RULE – the legal RULE or precedent stated by the
court
E – the court’s EXPLANATION of the rule
A – the court’s APPLICATION of the RULE
to the facts of this case
C – the court’s CONCLUSION (the OUTCOME on this ISSUE)
CHECK:
Who won on this issue?
What REMEDY or REMEDIES did the court or jury award
the winning party?
THINK:
What good arguments can you make for the losing
side that the court did not discuss or adopt? (factual, legal,
policy arguments, etc.)