'How to Read a Case' with UVA Law Professor Anne Coughlin

Professor Anne Coughlin explains how to read a case to first-year students during an event hosted by the Black Law Students Association. (Sept. 17, 2015, University of Virginia School of Law)

[attorneysteve]

As a lawyer for almost 20 years, I have always learned to read a case backwards. Start with the conclusion and work your way up. Try it. Much easier.

[DonYutuc]

Who's watching in 2024? A picture paints a thousand words but a video paints a million. I appreciate your lecture, Professor Anne Coughlin. This is awesome comfort learning for a 63-year-old. Everything else on YouTube is chewing gum for my brain. Res ipsa loquitur. The video speaks for itself.

[quickdrawz]

I could literally just sit here and listen to this lady all day. The amount of curiosity in her own teaching and pure teaching skills have me watching an hour lecture in what feels like 20 mins.

[rxjozbw]

As a 30 years lawyers working in China, even there are different law styles between China and US, but the way of reading cases is same and equally useful.Thank you very much for sentting the HOW wonderful lectures openly ! every student of law school from anywhere will thank you!

[bubba]

I wish she was my professor. So much admiration and respect for you Prof. Coughlin. Thanks for posting this wonderful lecture and make it available.

[VanessaAttah]

She is brilliant and a joy to listen to! I love her pronunciation/enunciation.

[Unknowledgeable]

1:15 'close reading' and The doctrinal content of the case
1:58 'it'?
2:26 questions to ask when reading a case
2:47 'the doctrine that the case spells out'
3:03 the course curriculum
3:48 Cases teach a certain 'legal principle' or a certain 'doctrinal rule'
4:43
5:13 How does the law define the actus reus of attempt?

[ZOOBZGOMEZ]

As a law student I basically do the following:
- read the facts and determine what the issue is.
- read the end of the judgement to see what the court holds.
- then skim the judgement itself.

By doing this I can understand the context of the case and the reasoning process for the final decision.

[cambro]

As a 15 year old kid who loves the study of law and have been into law this is by far the best teacher ive ever seen teach me how to read a case the way she teaches is just 100% on point

[lorie]

As a law student in Germany, I fell in love with the way she speaks. Her teaching makes it easy to follow and understand! Her patience as well as her own passion about law is catching.
Thank you SO much for providing us this fantastic lecture! Lots of love and respect to this brilliant professor!

[trangwuong]

Hey, y'all need to read the cases before class! She's too nice!

When I see that a case was recently done, I'm like, "Aw, shit. No one's gonna know this yet". When it's a case from the turn of the 20th century, I'm saying, "Yeah, this has been solidified, not changed, fantastic precedent". I won a settlement, without a lawyer, citing a couple of way old cases.

Fantastic lecture.

[iyiolawilliams]

This lady is just so intelligent and eloquent.

[usukigyaru]

This is so fun. I can't wait for law school. If I have a teacher similar to Professor Coughlin, I will be in nerd heaven.

[anekmajak]

I am a student in South Sudan 🇸🇸. who's going to school of Law and she is just an amazing 👏 lecturer and her intelligence 😀 is giving me more power to love Law

[ElevateResumeDesign]

Super Brilliant she took it to the basics of why it’s important to read cases I want go to law school now

[johndanielgomez]

thanks youtube for suggesting this, i just really finished it OMG!! I enjoy her lecture so much! As an incoming college student I just really love how she doesn’t let the class feels like she is superior and she’s very open for questions, and she even looks like she spoon feed the things you should know or ask about. Also, the words she use I thought she will use a lot of legal jargon and high falutin words— but she explain things very precisely. I LOVE HER 👏🏻👏🏻 SHE’S AMAZING!!

[teaspns]

Great speaker, she’s compelling and cut to the quick immediately. Strikes me as a person who has very little time in her day for bullshit, and I appreciate her passing on the savings

[carlenehudson]

This professor is brilliant and a gifted educator; many thanks for this presentation.

[jamesticknor]

I'm attending law school this fall. This approach to how to read a case is wonderful. My understanding that one should read *actively* is my takeaway. I enjoyed her teaching, and I hope that my future professors are like this. Hopefully, Virginia accepts my application, and I can just go there!

[TheJimmyg]

Ms. Coughlin ..keeps it pretty simple and straight to the point .. which is very good .. for these students, beginning the study of law.