SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Civil Procedure Keyed to Glannon
Pennsylvania Railroad Co. v. Chamberlain
Citation:
288 U.S. 333 (1933)
ProfessorTodd Berman
CaseCast™ – "What you need to know"
Facts
Chamberlain sued Pennsylvania Railroad Co. for alleged negligence that resulted in the death of a brakeman. The complaint alleged that the brakeman was assisting in breaking up and making up trains, as well as classifying and assorting train cars, that other employees were riding in train cars that were negligently brought into contact with the car in which the brakeman was riding, and that, as a result of the contact, the brakeman sustained injuries that led to his death. Chamberlain’s case rested entirely on the claim that the brakeman’s death was caused by a violent collision of the train cars; one witness’s testimony inferred this view of the facts. Unimpeached testimony of additional witnesses was to the contrary. The trial court, at the conclusion of the evidence, directed the jury to find a verdict for Pennsylvania Railroad Co., finding that there was no evidence upon which the jury could properly proceed to find a verdict for Chamberlain. The Court of Appeals reversed.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.
2m 14s