The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Bradwell v. The State, 83 U.S. 130 (1872) Case Summary of Bradwell v. The State: Myra Bradwell applied for a law license in the State of Illinois. Her application was denied up through the Supreme Court of Illinois. On appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Court affirmed the denial of her license. The […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hirabayashi v. United States, 320 U.S. 81 (1943) Case Summary of Hirabayashi v. United States: Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt ordered that curfews and relocation be ordered for Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. The orders, which were quickly enacted into law, were meant to protect the country from sabotage and espionage […]
Read moreThe term “constitutional rights” refers to the rights that the U.S. Constitution guarantees to all American citizens. For example, constitutional rights include freedom of speech and freedom of the press. If anyone attempts to stop someone from exercising his constitutional rights, then this is a potential violation, and the victim has the right to file a lawsuit against that person. […]
Read moreThe term “1st Amendment” is the term used to identify Amendment I to the United States Constitution. Also, a part of the Bill of Rights, the 1st Amendment spells out several basic rights granted to U.S. citizens. It guarantees freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble peacefully. To explore this concept, consider the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996) Case Summary of Whren v. United States: Undercover officers observed Petitioners Whren and Brown in a truck. The driver of the truck (Brown) violated traffic laws by suddenly pulling away at an unreasonable speed. The officers stopped the truck and, upon approaching the truck on foot, […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Lynch v. Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668 (1984) Case Summary of Lynch v. Donnelly: The City of Pawtucket has displayed a creche (Nativity scene) for the last 40 years as part of its annual Christmas display in the center of town. Respondents challenged the creche display as a violation of the Establishment Clause of the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555 (1992) Case Summary of Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife: The Secretary of the Interior changed the geographic scope of the Endangered Species Act to only include activities in the United States and the high seas. Several environmental groups sued to have the old geographic scope reinstated. […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 17 U.S. 518 (1819) Case Summary of Trustees of Dartmouth v. Woodward: Dartmouth College received its charter from the British Crown before the American Revolution. After the Revolution, the State of New Hampshire altered the charter to take control over the college. The Trustees sued to maintain private […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333 (1966) Case Summary of Sheppard v. Maxwell: Sheppard was accused of killing his pregnant wife. He maintained his innocence, but the case became very highly publicized, clearly characterizing Sheppard as the killer. The publicity was so intense, in fact, that numerous incriminating stories were written about it, and […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, 505 U.S. 377 (1992) Case Summary of R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul: R.A.V. and other teenagers burned a cross on an African-American family’s lawn. R.A.V. was charged under St. Paul’s hate-crime ordinance, and he challenged the constitutionality of the ordinance. The trial court found the ordinance violative […]
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