What is the term for the material that precedes the court's opinion, outlining the issues of the case?

The term for the material that precedes the court's opinion, outlining the issues of the case, is referred to as a headnote. Headnotes are concise summaries of a point of law that typically appear at the beginning of a judicial opinion and help to identify the legal issues being addressed in the case. They serve as a guide to the reader, highlighting the main themes and principles that the court will discuss in its opinion.

In contrast, a summary generally provides an overall description or abstract of a larger work but may not necessarily focus on specific legal issues like a headnote does. A ruling specifically refers to the court's decision in a case rather than the preliminary outlining of issues. Precedent pertains to previous court decisions used as a reference for deciding new cases and is not a summary of a case's issues but rather a principle derived from past cases that influence current legal decisions.