Issue statements (sometimes referred to as Questions Presented) should:
1. Be a single sentence
2. Be a question that can be answered "yes" or "no"
3. State the legal issue that you will analyze
4. State the names of the parties
5. Include enough facts to provide necessary context to the reader
Generally, if you are addressing more than one issue, separate the issues into separate, single sentence paragraphs, comporting to the advice above.
Sample Issue Statement: (Misappropriation of trade secret)
Whether Linda Petersen, owner of Petersen Pilates, Inc. fitness center ("PPI") and developer of a unique personalized Pilates training method, has a claim against Alexandria Dimitri, a former PPI employee, for misappropriation of a trade secret resulting from Ms. Dimitri's unauthorized use of a similar training method at another fitness center.
NOTE: The sample Issue Statement above addresses ONE issue--whether Ms. Petersen's program constitutes a trade secret. Of course, whether the program is a trade secret involves a number of more discrete sub-issues, which you would address in your trade secret analysis section in separate subsections. The facts included within the issue statement give the reader some context regarding how you will analyze the legal issue.
1. Be a single sentence
2. Be a question that can be answered "yes" or "no"
3. State the legal issue that you will analyze
4. State the names of the parties
5. Include enough facts to provide necessary context to the reader
Generally, if you are addressing more than one issue, separate the issues into separate, single sentence paragraphs, comporting to the advice above.
Sample Issue Statement: (Misappropriation of trade secret)
Whether Linda Petersen, owner of Petersen Pilates, Inc. fitness center ("PPI") and developer of a unique personalized Pilates training method, has a claim against Alexandria Dimitri, a former PPI employee, for misappropriation of a trade secret resulting from Ms. Dimitri's unauthorized use of a similar training method at another fitness center.
NOTE: The sample Issue Statement above addresses ONE issue--whether Ms. Petersen's program constitutes a trade secret. Of course, whether the program is a trade secret involves a number of more discrete sub-issues, which you would address in your trade secret analysis section in separate subsections. The facts included within the issue statement give the reader some context regarding how you will analyze the legal issue.
