This assignment supports the following outcomes:

·          Chart state and federal court structures.

·          Explain the roles of court personnel.

·          Trace the history of a case through either federal and/or state judicial systems.

·          Analyze the facts of a case.

·          Defend your evaluation of a judge’s rationale behind his/her decision in a case.

Assignment

For this assignment, you will brief a selected case and chart its history through the court system from the beginning to its final disposition. You will also explain each court personnel’s role and function throughout the case.

Deliverables

Identify a case to research. Prepare a brief for your selected case, which includes each of the following elements:

·          Case citation.

·          Describe the case history from its inception through final disposition, including any appeals taken.

·          Identification of the case issues.

·          Description of the rules of law that were applied to the case.

·          Summary and analysis of the facts of the case and their application to the rules of law.

·          Description of the conclusion of the case. Evaluate the judge’s rationale behind his/her decision in the case. Be sure to support your evaluation.

After briefing your case, prepare a summary for each of the following elements:  

·          Chart the state or federal court structure related to the case you briefed by identifying all applicable courts in that structure and describe how those courts relate to the court deciding the case you briefed.

·          Additionally, if you briefed a federal court case, then also chart the state court structure applicable to the case you briefed.  If you briefed a state court case, then also chart the federal court structure applicable to the case you briefed.

·          Explain the roles and functions of court personnel identified in the case.

Grading Criteria

You will be provided with a Case Study Project grading sheet that will be used to evaluate your assignment.