# Extracting Holdings and Key Reasoning

A full case summary is useful for understanding a case. But in daily legal work, you often need something more specific: the exact holding on a particular issue, the three facts the court found dispositive, or a parenthetical description for your brief's case citations.

This lesson teaches extraction techniques — precise prompts that pull exactly what you need from an opinion without wading through a narrative summary.

Technique: Targeted Holding Extraction

When you need the holding on a specific issue, do not ask for a full summary. Go directly to what you need.

Bad Prompt ` What did the court decide in this case?

Good Prompt ` From the following opinion, extract ONLY the court's holding on the question of whether the arbitration clause covers tort claims between the parties.

State the holding in one sentence. Then quote the specific language from the opinion that establishes this holding (provide the exact quote with page reference if available). Finally, note any limitations or qualifications the court placed on this holding.

[Paste opinion]