Cases and precedents in plain English

The one idea

The spelling is legal precedents, not presidents.

A precedent is a previous court decision that may guide or bind later cases. A case matters because of the rule it decides and the authority of the court, not because the facts sound emotionally similar.

When reading a case, ask: what court decided it, what issue was before the court, what rule was necessary for the decision, what paragraphs support the point, and whether the facts are close enough.

Hard rule: no paragraph number, no reliance.

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Your win today

Treat cases as sources to verify, not magic names to quote.