{"id":369034,"date":"2021-01-25T07:29:12","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T12:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/litigation\/legal-system\/how-to-read-a-supreme-court-opinion.html"},"modified":"2024-04-11T15:08:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T20:08:03","slug":"how-to-read-a-supreme-court-opinion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/litigation\/legal-system\/how-to-read-a-supreme-court-opinion.html","title":{"rendered":"How To Read a Supreme Court Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How To Read a Supreme Court Opinion<\/h1>\n
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\n By Maddy Teka, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Bridget Molitor, JD<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

The Supreme Court of the United States plays a fundamental role in protecting the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. But reading a Supreme Court opinion can be complicated and intimidating. This article provides a general guide to reading a U.S. Supreme Court opinion.<\/p>\r\n

In most cases, a Supreme Court opinion consists of the parts below.<\/p>\r\n

Syllabus<\/h2>\r\n

The syllabus describes the facts of the case. It also explains the procedure of how the case reached the Supreme Court. The syllabus summarizes the Supreme Court case, but it’s not part of the opinion.<\/p>\r\n

Main Opinion\/Binding Decision<\/h2>\r\n

The main opinion gives the official decision. It also provides a legal analysis of how the Justices came to that decision. This main opinion could be:<\/p>\r\n