A legal brief is a form of reporting the findings
or decisions of a judicial body, which includes either a judge or a panel of
judges, depending on the case. A legal
brief has a standard format. It includes
special sections that explain the issue, summarize the laws that pertain to the
judgment, summarizes the legal questions or the viewpoints of the various
claimants, explains the opinion and/or decision of the judge or court and
concludes with an evaluation of the case.
You will write a legal brief that is structured in this same format but
has been modified for this assignment.
Prepare your legal brief so that it has these
sections. Use the headings and
structure, which is explained here for each section of your document. You may copy this document, and wherever the
font appears in italics you can type in the words appropriate for you own legal
brief on Kennewick Man.
Write a paragraph(s) in this section that explains what this case is about. Include an explanation of how and where the Kennewick Man skeleton was found, what scientists discovered about the age of the skeleton and other facts about the skeleton, and who has claimed that the skeleton should be given to them.
First
copy the sections of the NAGPRA law that pertain to this court case.
Write
a paragraph that explains in your own words what the laws mean.
Second
copy any other laws that you found that pertain to this court case.
Write
a paragraph that explains what each law means.
In
separate paragraphs summarize the claims of each of the three groups who claim
Kennewick Man. In each paragraph
explain who the group is and why each group believes they have the rights to
Kennewick Man. Be sure you use evidence
and supporting details in each paragraph.
This section should clearly present the arguments of each of the three
groups for their ownership of Kennewick Man.
Write
a brief essay that explains your decision.
§ Your
thesis paragraph should explain your decision
§ Write
one paragraph that explains which group should get the skeleton and explain why
you made the decision. Be sure to use
supporting evidence and facts to convince the reader that this is the correct
decision
§ Write
one or two paragraphs that explain why the other two groups should not be given
Kennewick man. Be sure to use
supporting evidence and facts to convince the reader that these two groups
should not be given the skeleton.
§ Your
closing paragraph should briefly summarize your findings, and make a convincing
statement about your decision.
Write
a paragraph that explains what was important about the decision of this
case. Why was it an important case to
consider? What are the possible
implications this decision will have, both on the parties involved in this case
and on future discoveries of ancient skeletons?
Make
a bibliography of all the sources that you used for your study. List websites as URL
addresses (http://www.) Refer to MLA
Style Sheet to see the correct form.