Case Studies

  • Buck v. Bell (1927): A Dark Chapter in U.S. Legal History

    In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in Buck v. Bell that has since remained one of the most controversial in American legal history. The case centered around Carrie Buck, a young woman from Virginia who was forcibly sterilized after being diagnosed with “feeblemindedness.” The Case of Carrie Buck Carrie Buck’s story…

  • Major Cases Decided By The Supreme Court This Term

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s current term featured major decisions involving former President Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution and his ballot disqualification, abortion rights, gun rights, the power of federal agencies, social media regulation, Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, and others. Here are the rulings issued in various cases: TRUMP IMMUNITY CLAIM On July 1,…

  • Palko v. Connecticut: Landmark Case Brief Highlights Evolution of Double Jeopardy Law

    In the case of Palko v. Connecticut, the defendant, Palko, was indicted for first-degree murder but was convicted of second-degree murder and received a life sentence. However, the State of Connecticut appealed, leading to a reversal of the judgment and the order for a new trial. Subsequently, Palko was retried and convicted of first-degree murder,…

  • Seduction or Rape by Deception: Revisiting the Boundaries of Consent Espoused in the Papadimitropoulos Affair

    ABSTRACT Papadimitropoulos v The Queen has shaped many decisions in Anglo-American jurisdictions. The case is often quoted by judges to underscore the position that only in cases of the identity of the man and the nature of the act would fraud be allowed to vitiate consent in rape and other sexual assault trials. The courts…

  • Marbury v Madison: On Misciting The Foremost Judicial Review Authority

    In deciding whether to overrule the Chevron doctrine, the Supreme Court should not be persuaded by mistaken invocations of a famous dictum. “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” That quotation from the U.S. Supreme Court’s famous 1803 opinion in Marbury v. Madison has been recited thousands of times.…

  • Harvard’s Prof Dehlia Umunna Discusses Powell v. Alabama (Video)

    In the inaugural installment of “Cases in Brief” two years ago, Harvard Law Professor Dehlia Umunna delves into the landmark case Powell v. Alabama (1932), famously known as the “Scottsboro Boys” case. This pivotal case marked the U.S. Supreme Court’s seminal ruling, establishing defendants’ rights to adequate legal representation in capital cases under the 14th…

  • Roe v. Wade (1973): Understanding the Landmark Supreme Court Case on Abortion Rights

    Roe v. Wade is a landmark Supreme Court case that has shaped the landscape of abortion rights in the United States since its decision in 1973. This case, along with its companion case Doe v. Bolton, established a woman’s constitutional right to access abortion services. However, the legal and social debates surrounding this decision have…

  • Redefining Legal Boundaries: The Growing Role of State Standing in U.S. Supreme Court Cases

    In their legal case comment titled “Proper Parties, Proper Relief,” William Baude and Samuel L. Bray delve into the critical role of standing doctrine in contemporary U.S. law, particularly highlighted by recent cases at the United States Supreme Court. They examine various sources contributing to the centrality of standing, including procedural fusion, shifts in public…

  • Navigating Municipal Liability: A Case Study in Road Maintenance Standards

    Introduction In a legal battle that spanned years, one woman’s fight for justice shed light on the complexities of municipal liability and road maintenance standards. This case study delves into the journey of Patrizia, who sought recourse after a tragic accident on snow-covered roads in Milton, Ontario. Background Patrizia’s ordeal began on a snowy April…

  • 3 Cases Every First Year Law Student Should Know!

    No matter where you attend law school, there are particular subjects that everyone studies their first year: constitutional law, civil procedure, criminal law, torts, contracts, property law, and legal methodology. In these courses there are certain classic cases so well known, so fundamental and precedent-setting, that learning them is a rite of passage. That’s why…