Facilitator Guide

Facts Section of a Brief

Facilitator Guide

Facts Section of a Brief

Topic: Motion Practice
Duration: 1 hr
Format: Remote or in person

What’s covered

Deciding which facts to include

Presenting the facts persuasively

Using definitions, dates, headings, and appendices to your advantage

Citing to the evidence

Before the session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/trainings/facts-section-of-a-brief/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

Course

Facts Section of a Brief

Presenting the facts of the case in a clear and persuasive way, including selecting which facts to include, organization, and addressing “bad facts.”
Exercise
PDF

During the session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

What should you be thinking about when deciding which facts to include in the facts section of your brief?
How should you handle facts that are bad for your client?
What are some things you can do to present your facts persuasively?
When your facts include lots of names, dates, and documents, what are some ways you can help the reader keep track of it all?
What are some things to keep in mind when you’re citing to the evidence and describing what it says?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: War Stories and Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

Anecdotes and war stories (e.g., about a near-disaster or a tough negotiation)
General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the session

To continue their learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Motion Practice topic.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.