The is the gatekeeper of the courthouse. Without it, your client never gets a trial. With it, you force the opponent to fight for survival.
"Your Honor, the plaintiff establishes a prima facie case of negligence by proving four elements. First, the defendant owed a duty of reasonable care to the plaintiff. Second, the defendant breached that duty by [specific act]. Third, that breach was the actual and proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injury. Fourth, the plaintiff suffered measurable damages. We will present evidence for each element today." prima facie script
She sees how the law requires victims to provide perfectly consistent, "crystal-clear" evidence that often contradicts how the human brain actually processes trauma. The is the gatekeeper of the courthouse
For law students, the prima facie script is the difference between an A and a B. Judges in competitions often ask: "Counsel, please state your prima facie elements." Without a memorized script, you lose credibility instantly. "Your Honor, the plaintiff establishes a prima facie
In an age of instant judgments, viral headlines, and algorithmic confirmation bias, the ability to question one's own first script is a moral and intellectual discipline. The question is not whether we write prima facie scripts—we always will. The question is whether we remember that they are only the first page, not the final chapter.
For example, in a negligence case, the prima facie script is rigid: