The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997) Case Summary of Washington v. Glucksberg: Four doctors, three terminally ill patients, and a non-profit group brought a suit challenging the State of Washington’s ban on physician-assisted suicide. They argued that the ban was unconstitutional because it violated due process. The District Court and Ninth Circuit Court […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296 (1940) Case Summary of Cantwell v. Connecticut: A man and his two sons, who were all Jehovah’s Witnesses, were going door to door in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood, asking people to hear recordings about their religion. Their preaching offended some listeners. The State charged, and ultimately convicted, them […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Matal v. Tam, 137 S. Ct. 1744 (2017) Case Summary of Matal v. Tam: Simon Tam and his band, “The Slants,” tried to register the band’s name with the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The PTO denied the registration, finding that the band name was disparaging to Asians in violation of the Disparagement Clause […]
Read moreThe Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was a federal law that defined marriage as the union between one man and one woman. For example, the Defense of Marriage Act held that while same-sex couples could legally marry under state law, the federal government would not legally recognize their unions. The U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark decision when it […]
Read moreA “pro bono lawyer” is a lawyer who provides legal services as a form of charity for those who cannot afford a lawyer. For example, a pro bono lawyer may help a mother who is going through a divorce and has several children. A woman in this position may not be able to afford a lawyer, so the lawyer will […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, 492 U.S. 490 (1989) Case Summary of Webster v. Reproductive Health Services: The State of Missouri enacted a law restricting abortions. Four sections of the law most relevant were: (i) a preamble stating that life begins at conception; (ii) a restriction on the use of public facilities for abortions […]
Read moreThe doctrine of “separate but equal” supported the idea of races being separate, so long as they received “equal” facilities and treatment to that which the whites had or received. For example, separate but equal dictated that blacks and whites use separate water fountains, schools, and even medical care. However, because blacks had, say, their own water fountains, then they […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Employment Div. v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990) Case Summary of Employment Div. v. Smith: Two members of the Native American Church were fired from their jobs for using the drug peyote because the drug was illegal in Oregon. The fired employees claimed that use of the peyote was an important part of Native […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) Case Summary of West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette: The West Virginia Board of Education made saluting the flag and reciting the pledge of allegiance compulsory for all public school students. Violation of that rule could result in prosecution of […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997) Case Summary of Printz v. United States: The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, a federal law, called for State and local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks people seeking to buy a gun. Two law enforcement officials from Montana and Arizona challenged the law on […]
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