1. Read the whole case. No shortcuts.

Read the whole case from start to finish. You can’t effectively digest what you haven’t read.

2. Jot down facts and issues.

As you read the case, take note of which facts and issues you’ll include in the digest. Learn
to differentiate the two.

3. Note the format of your digests.

Start your digest with the title of the case, citation, date, and ponente (SC justice who wrote the
majority opinion).
4. Learn the sections of your digest.
Divide your digest into FACTS, ISSUE(S), and RULING sections.

5. Supply the sections accordingly.

Fill in the section on facts w/ the ones you chose earlier. Make sure that the sentences flow
with each other. You’re telling a story of…

6. Review all the issues found in the case.

Fill in the issue section. The “whether or not x x x” is the easiest to formulate. Some cases
have just one issue, some have many

7. Summarize the ruling and how they went about it.

Fill in the section on the court’s ruling. How did the court resolve the issue? What was the
reasoning behind the ruling?
Know the logic behind the decision.