Differentiate between the "rule of law" and the "holding" in a case, and how you extract each from a decision.

• A. A: The holding is the general principle; the rule of law is the applicable facts.
• B. B: The holding is the textual quote; the rule of law is the case name.
• C. C: The holding is the outcome only; the rule of law is the policy behind the decision.
• D. D: The holding is the legal rule as applied to facts; the rule of law is the general principle derived; extract from holding and from statements.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is to separate what the court decided about this case from the broader legal standard it uses. The holding is the court’s decision on the specific issue as it applies to the facts of this case—the concrete outcome for the parties involved. The rule of law is the general principle or standard the decision establishes that can govern future cases with similar questions.

To extract the holding, look for the explicit statement of what the court decided about the issue in question—the outcome tied to the facts. It’s the part that says who wins and how the facts were treated.

To extract the rule of law, identify the legal principle, test, or standard the court sets forth to decide such issues. This appears in the sections of the opinion that explain the governing law or in stated rules the court uses, and it may also be found in dicta—statements about the law that aren’t essential to the holding but illustrate the rule. The rule of law is the broad principle you can apply in other cases, while the holding shows how that principle was applied here.