CHAPTER V

CONSTRUCTING THE BRIEF

I. The Purpose of the Brief 72

II. Method of Constructing the Brief 73

III. Rules for Constructing the Brief 76

1. A brief should be composed of three parts: Introduction, Proof, and Conclusion 76

2. Each statement in a brief should be a single complete sentence 77

3. The relation which the different statements in a brief bear to each other should be indicated by symbols and indentations 77

4. The introduction should contain the main issues together with a brief statement of the process of analysis by which they were found 79

5. The main statements in the proof should correspond to the main issues set forth in the introduction, and should read as reasons for the truth of the proposition 84

6. Every statement in the proof must read as a reason for the statement to which it is subordinate 85

7. Statements introducing refutation must state clearly the argument to be refuted 87

8. The conclusion should be a summary of the main arguments just as they stand in the proof of the brief and should close with an affirmation or denial of the proposition in the exact words in which it is phrased 89

Specimen student brief 91