Case Law Analysis in the Philippines: A Guide for Law Students

Article 8 of the Civil Code of the Philippines recognizes jurisprudence or case law as part of the legal system of the Philippines. This affirms that indeed case law analysis as well as how to format a legal document that could help resolve any legal query thrown our way is a useful skill in our everyday lives as law students and eventually, lawyers. 

What is Case Law Analysis?

Case Law Analysis is a legal skill law students & lawyers alike must gain to effectively apply legal norms, interpret vague and oftentimes confusing legal concepts, and solve problems. It is a form of research which combines technical legal knowledge and its application to everyday legal problems that may be posed by a professor, client, or even a neighbor with land settlement problems, an issue that commonly plagues Filipino families. 

While it may sound like a very intimidating task, it only takes a total of two, albeit thorough, steps to complete a case law analysis document and both of these are discussed in detail below. 

Step-By-Step Guide on How to Write a Case Law Analysis in the Philippines?

Before beginning the writing portion, we have to first ensure that our analysis & application are well-researched. And the only way to do that is to sift through a huge volume of cases.

Step 1: Decide on your Research Questions

To guide your entire case law analysis journey, the first step is always to determine what questions to constantly ask yourself (and your search engine of choice). This ensures consistency in the results and accuracy in the answers produced by your search. To start, ask yourself the following basic questions, but you are free to add (or subtract) as much as you think is appropriate:

• Who are the parties in the case at bar? Are they natural or juridical persons? 

  • Alternatively, what provision of law is at question?

• Where can we find legal provisions pertaining to the first question? What legal field is involved?

• What other legal concepts are connected with your central topic? 

As an example, if you are faced with a legal issue involving spouses who want to nullify their marriage based on psychological incapacity, you should acknowledge first that this particular problem falls under civil law, specifically, family law which is governed by the provisions of the Family Code of the Philippines (EO 209). Some possible legal concepts that might be connected to this central topic are “incapacity to fulfill marital obligations” and ”inherent personality structure disorder”.

Step 2: Find Reliable & Expert Sources

With the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) and search engines, it’s hard to pick a relevant & trustworthy website to throw all your legal questions at. The following however are just some of the few websites I consistently consult when faced with intimidating legal questions:

Step 3: Limit Keywords 

When wading through the numerous websites for the information you need, it is indeed helpful to limit these results to the most relevant ones. Don’t be afraid to maximize your chosen website‘s features such as its available search filters. While you can be as specific as you want, be mindful of the balance between being broad enough to get various results on your topic and specific enough to actually generate results you need.

Once you get these results, compile them in one document for checking and eliminating irrelevant ones.

Step 4: Determine Factual Patterns & Relevant Doctrines

Now that you’ve compiled a list of relevant cases, take note of the factual patterns present in each case. While this may be tedious to do, it is essential in case law analysis as it allows the researcher to come back to the essential points. To make this step a little bit easier, you can again opt to ask for help from case digest search engines such as Digest PH. 

Case Analysis Format in Law for Philippine Law Schools

Now that you’ve compiled all the relevant information to form an informed case law analysis for your specific legal query, creating the actual document is the last step you have to overcome. To help you, Digest.ph has come up with a general format for you to follow so that your case law document looks professional & well-organized.

What are the elements of psychological incapacity as a ground for a declaration of nullity of marriage?

• Brief Summary of the Facts of the Case at Bar

The wife of Mr. (Name) is filing a petition for a Declaration of Nullity of Marriage on the ground of psychological incapacity under Article 36 of the Family Code. 

• Summary of Jurisprudence

While this portion does not have to contain the digest of every single relevant case you collected, it does require you to mention key facts, issues, and court rulings relevant to the research question above. Putting the case names in bold may help readers focus their attention to certain portions of the paragraph. For our central research question, the most applicable case would be Tan-Andal v. Andal (2021) which revised the initial Molina guidelines on the elements of psychological incapacity.

• Summary of Key Points

This portion on the other hand need not contain factual patterns already mentioned above. This is more similar to a discussion of the doctrinal discussions of the Court especially as applied to other, less relevant cases.

• As applied

The most important part of your document will appear under this “As Applied” or “Discussion” portion. Since we acknowledge that the discussion of the cases above gives a summary of the already known facts from past jurisprudence, it is now high time to apply them to the current issue presented to us by our clients or professors. 

• Conclusion

This portion much like any other paper gives closure to the document. This must provide a clear answer to the research question. In this example, it will appear as follows:

The Tan-Andal ruling, which modified the Molina guidelines of psychological incapacity, states that to establish psychological incapacity under Article 36, clear acts of dysfunctionality that show a lack of understanding and compliance with one's marital obligations due to psychological causes must be established. Furthermore, psychological incapacity is not a mental incapacity nor a personality disorder as established before. It's now based on the spouse's personality structure.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Writing Case Law Analysis

While it seems pretty simple so far, the amount of information and formatting you have to do may get overwhelming. With that, keep in mind these common mistakes in writing case law analysis to better avoid them:

1. Crammed or rushed outputs

With two thorough steps in writing a case law analysis, limited time is given to be able to engage in an in-depth writing process. 

• Solution:

  • Divide the task into three main phases: Research → Writing → Formatting.

  • Allocate 2–3 days for research and writing.

  • Reserve at least 1 day for formatting and rechecking.

2. Outdated Legal Sources

As we know, the legal field consistently develops, and it develops fast. This may result in legal sources that may have already been overturned or struck down.

• Solution:

  •  Use trusted and regularly updated databases, such as:

    • E-Library of the Supreme Court

    • Digest.ph’s Decisions

  • Always apply search filters by year to ensure you’re citing the most relevant cases.

3. Difficulty in Analyzing the Sources

Creating a case law analysis not only includes plain legal research but it also consists of tying together the information you get from various search engines. These pieces of information may, at first glance, seem to be totally disconnected from each other and it is our job to compile them in a cohesive document.

• Solution: 

  • Consult with peers or senior practitioners for guidance.

  • Use AI-powered tools like Digest.ph’s Legal Research AI. to:

    • Compare and contrast similar cases

    • Draft case law analysis

    • Clarify complex legal concepts

Key Takeaways

• Case law analysis combines technical legal knowledge and its application to everyday legal problems that may be posed by a professor, client, or even a neighbor with land settlement problems, an issue that commonly plagues Filipino families

• The main steps in making a case law analysis are: deciding on research questions, finding reliable sources, limiting keywords for research, and determining legal doctrines in the cases.

• A case analysis mainly consists of a brief summary of the facts of the case at bar, summary of jurisprudence, summary of key points, application of legal bases, and a conclusion. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is case law analysis?

It is a legal skill which compiles & summarizes important portions of jurisprudence to answer pressing legal issues.

What are the steps to case law analysis?

1. Decide on research questions.

2. Find Reliable and Expert Sources

3. Limit Keywords

4. Determine Factual Patterns & Relevant Doctrines

How to create a case analysis title?

A case law analysis title must contain all important information about the legal issue and concepts to be explored in the research paper. The title, while being informative, must also be concise such that readers can easily reference it when they use it with other research papers.

How to summarize a case in law?

First, read the case in full-text and use different colored highlights/marks to help in referencing when you digest the case. Second, categorize the information from the case into 4 main parts: doctrine, facts and procedural posture, issue/s, and ruling. And third, read (and reread) the summary to make sure it is concise yet complete.

Conclusion

A daunting yet very possible task is made easy with this article on how to write a case law analysis. It is made even easier with tools by and for students here at Digest.ph.