The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Ingraham v. Wright, 430 U.S. 651 (1977) Case Summary of Ingraham v. Wright: Corporal punishment was allowed in Florida schools, provided that the punishment was not “degrading or unduly severe.” Two students at a Florida middle school were subjected to particularly harsh corporal punishment. Families of the students filed a federal suit against the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for INS v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919 (1983) Case Summary of INS v. Chadha: Respondent Chadha overstayed his visa in the U.S. Although he was deportable, the Attorney General allowed certain deportable immigrants to remain in the U.S., including Chadha. A federal immigration law, however, gave either chamber of Congress the ability to veto an […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Abington Tp. v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963) Case Summary of Abington Tp. v. Schempp: This case involves two companion cases, one from Pennsylvania and the other from Maryland. Both Pennsylvania and Maryland passed laws requiring readings from the Holy Bible in public school at the opening of school each day. The Maryland law […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000) Case Summary of United States v. Morrison: Virginia Tech freshman Christy Brzonkala accused fellow classmates Antonio Morrison and James Crawford of raping her. Brzonkala sought justice through the school’s sexual assault policy, and Morrison was found guilty of sexual assault. He was suspended for two semesters. […]
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 Kent v. United States, 383 U.S. 541 (1966) Case Summary of Kent v. United States: Morris Kent, at age 16, committed several serious crimes. The Juvenile Court, without providing Kent’s counsel with important files or allowing a hearing on the issue, decided to waive jurisdiction so Kent could be tried as an adult. Kent’s […]
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 moreFollowing is the case brief for Wolf v. Colorado, 338 U.S. 25 (1949) Case Summary of Wolf v. Colorado: In two Colorado prosecutions for state crimes, evidence against the defendants was allowed at trial even though it was obtained through an unlawful search and seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The convictions were affirmed by the Colorado Supreme Court. […]
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 […]
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