Visual Ways to Brief Cases

Rebecca Flanagan, Director of the Academic Success Program at Vermont Law School proposes using a visual arrangement to brief cases, called the “star strategy”. The star strategy was developed by Lynn Melzer, PhD, of the The Research Institute for Learning and Development.

Source: Law School Academic Support Blog,(Rebecca Flanagan).

The star diagram was created by Melzer as a tool for students to organize their thoughts before writing. Melzer put the main topic in the middle, surrounded by who, what, when, where, why and how at the points of the star.

I came up with this “diamond strategy” diagram, based on the more traditional IRAC approach (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion):

This approach can be done in Word by creating a table, or by using a radial diagram. See examples of table & radial diagram.

After putting together these examples, I’m not sure that visual case briefs are as helpful as say, mind mapping as a way to organize legal research. The reason is that the briefs involve a lot of words, where as mind maps usually involve a few words or phrases connected together in a visual way. See Wisblawg for a post on mind mapping, with plenty of useful links.

Does anyone else out there have any ideas for a visual representation of a case brief? Can visual representation of case briefs work?