The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following 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 Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2751 (2014) Case Summary of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.: Several for-profit, closely held companies, including Hobby Lobby, complained that the ACA’s requirement that for-profit employers provide insurance for contraceptives for their female employees infringed on their companies’ First Amendment right of the free […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972) Case Summary of Wisconsin v. Yoder: Members of the Amish religion, including Jonas Yoder, refused to send their children to school beyond the 8th grade for religious reasons. Because Wisconsin law compels school attendance for all children until age 16, Yoder and the other respondents were tried […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 (1974) Case Summary of Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.: The family of a murder victim hired petitioner to be their attorney in a civil suit against the murderer. Respondent media organization published defamatory statements about petitioner, including statements that he was a Communist and framed the murderer. […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 (2003) Case Summary of Eldred v. Ashcroft: Congress passed the Copyright Term Extension Act, which extends a copyright from 50 years after the death of the author to 70 years. Petitioners, a group of individuals and businesses who benefit from works that come into the public domain, sued in […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Bartnicki v. Vopper, 532 U.S. 514 (2001) Case Summary of Bartnicki v. Vopper: During negotiations between a teacher’s union and a local school board, a cell phone conversation between union leaders was surreptitiously recorded by an unknown eavesdropper. The recording was later disclosed to the public on respondent Vopper’s radio program. Petitioners sued for violations […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, Supreme Court of the United States, (1942) Case summary for Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire: Chaplinsky was convicted under s New Hampshire statute for speaking words which prohibited offensive, derisive and annoying words to a person lawfully on a street corner. He later challenged his conviction, claiming the statute violated his […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Lee v. Weisman, United States Supreme Court, (1992) Case summary for Lee v. Weisman: Mr. Weisman brought suit in district court seeking a restraining order to prevent a rabbi from delivering prayer at his daughter’s middle school graduation. Weisman claimed it violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and the federal district court denied the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Cohen v. California, United States Supreme Court, (1971) Case summary for Cohen v. California: Robert Cohen was convicted under a state statute, for wearing a shirt which read “fuck the draft.” Cohen challenged his conviction, claiming that the statute violated his First Amendment rights. The lower courts found for the state, holding that Cohen’s […]
Read more
