Read in this order
1
Start with the verdict
The verdict frames the decision: advance, pause, kill, or investigate further. Treat it as a decision aid informed by the cited record, not a substitute for specialist judgment.
2
Review the risk factors
Look for the planning, entitlement, utility, community, regulatory, and comparable-outcome issues that could change the project path.
3
Check known unknowns
A good brief says what the evidence does not establish. These gaps are often the best agenda for counsel, consultants, or the next research pass.
4
Open the supporting sources
Material assertions should lead to their source evidence. Read the underlying record before relying on a finding in a decision meeting or external discussion.
Evidence table and citations
The evidence table is where findings connect to supporting documents and provenance. Use it to separate:- Source-backed facts — supported directly by a cited record.
- Reasoned implications — interpretations that should remain anchored to the cited evidence.
- Open questions — important matters the available record does not yet answer.
If an assertion matters to a transaction, entitlement position, or external representation, open the citation and have the appropriate professional review it.