Casebook Editing Skill

Domain: Legal casebook development and case editing Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2025-12-15

Overview

This skill provides guidance for developing legal casebooks, including case selection, case editing, note writing, and problem design.

Casebook Structure

Standard Chapter Organization

Chapter X: [Topic]
├── A. Introduction
│   └── Overview of doctrinal area
├── B. Principal Cases
│   ├── Case 1 (edited)
│   │   └── Notes and Questions
│   ├── Case 2 (edited)
│   │   └── Notes and Questions
│   └── Case 3 (edited)
│       └── Notes and Questions
├── C. Problems
│   └── Hypotheticals for discussion
└── D. Supplementary Materials
    ├── Statutory excerpts
    ├── Secondary readings
    └── Comparative perspectives

Case Selection Principles

Pedagogical Criteria

1. Doctrinal clarity - Does case clearly illustrate the rule?
2. Factual richness - Are facts interesting and discussable?
3. Analytical depth - Does court's reasoning reward close reading?
4. Historical significance - Is this a landmark or foundational case?
5. Contemporary relevance - Does case connect to current issues?

Selection Balance

• Canonical cases - Students should know the "greatest hits"
• Recent cases - Show doctrine in action today
• Contrasting cases - Illustrate doctrinal tensions
• Problem cases - Hard cases that test the rule
• Diversity - Varied courts, parties, fact patterns

Sequencing Considerations

• Chronological - Show doctrinal evolution
• Simple to complex - Build analytical skills
• Rule to exceptions - Establish baseline, then complicate
• Majority to minority - Show spectrum of approaches

Case Editing Guidelines

What to Cut

1. Procedural history - Keep only what's necessary
2. Redundant facts - Streamline to essentials
3. Lengthy quotations - From other cases unless critical
4. Concurrences/dissents - Unless pedagogically valuable
5. Boilerplate language - Standard of review, etc.

What to Preserve

1. Key facts - Those on which outcome turns
2. Holding - The rule of the case
3. Core reasoning - Why court reached this conclusion
4. Notable language - Quotable formulations
5. Tensions - Internal or with other cases

Editing Conventions

Omissions:

[Material omitted]
...
* * *

Editorial insertions:

[The court here addresses...]
[Eds.: This case was later overruled in...]

Paragraph breaks:

• Preserve original paragraph structure where possible
• Add breaks for readability if needed

Length Guidelines

Notes and Questions

Types of Notes

1. Explanatory notes - Clarify doctrine or context
2. Problem notes - Pose hypotheticals
3. Citation notes - Point to related cases
4. Policy notes - Raise broader implications
5. Historical notes - Provide background
6. Comparative notes - Contrast approaches

Effective Questions

Comprehension questions:

• What was the holding?
• What facts were dispositive?
• What rule did the court apply?

Analytical questions:

• How does this case relate to [prior case]?
• Is the court's reasoning persuasive? Why?
• What would change the outcome?

Application questions:

• How would this court decide [hypothetical]?
• Does this rule make sense in [context]?

Policy questions:

• What values does this rule serve?
• Who wins and loses under this approach?
• Is there a better rule?

Question Sequencing

1. Start with comprehension (ensure understanding)
2. Move to analysis (develop skills)
3. Build to synthesis (connect to bigger picture)
4. End with application (test mastery)

Problem Design

Effective Problems

Characteristics:

• Clearly framed facts
• Specific legal question
• Not obviously one-sided
• Connects to assigned reading
• Admits multiple reasonable analyses

Structure:

[Factual scenario - 1-3 paragraphs]

Questions:
1. [Specific legal question]
2. [Follow-up or complication]
3. [Policy or broader implication]

Problem Types

1. Straightforward application - Test basic rule
2. Close case - Facts near the line
3. Novel facts - Test rule's boundaries
4. Multi-issue - Integrate several concepts
5. Counseling - What should client do?
6. Drafting - Write clause, statute, etc.

Supplementary Materials

When to Include

• Statutes governing the area
• Regulations if relevant
• Model codes or Restatements
• Key secondary sources (excerpted)
• Empirical data if illuminating
• Comparative/international perspectives

Editing Secondary Sources

• More aggressive editing acceptable
• Focus on thesis and key arguments
• Cut methodological details
• Preserve voice and style

Available Workflows

• workflows/case-selection.md - Choose cases for chapter
• workflows/case-editing.md - Edit a case for inclusion
• workflows/notes-questions.md - Draft notes and questions

Quality Checklist

For Case Edits

• Key facts preserved
• Holding clear
• Reasoning follows
• Appropriate length
• Omissions marked
• Readable flow

For Notes and Questions

• Build on case reading
• Progress in difficulty
• Mix question types
• Answerable from materials
• Engage, don't overwhelm

For Chapter Overall

• Coherent arc
• Balanced coverage
• Appropriate difficulty
• Sufficient variety
• Clear learning objectives

Casebooks teach legal reasoning through carefully curated materials.