Minimum Competence

On this day, June 26th, in legal history, the Statute of the International Court of Justice was signed, establishing the International Court of Justice at The Hague.  The history of the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) can be traced back to its predecessor, the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), which was established under the League of Nations in accordance with A...

On this day, June 23rd, in legal history, the Taft–Hartley Act was enacted over the veto of then President Harry Truman.  The Taft–Hartley Act, also known as the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, is a US federal law that imposes limitations on labor unions. It was passed by the 80th Congress and became law on June 23, 1947, despite President Harry S. Truman's veto. The act was a response to...

On this day, June 22nd, in legal history, the Supreme Court handed down their decision in Escobedo v. Illinois , which held that suspects have the right to an attorney when they are questioned by the police. The decision established that defendants have the right to counsel even before they are formally charged with a crime. The impact of the Escobedo decision was overshadowed by the subsequent Mi...

On this day, June 21st, in legal history, flag burning was held to be protected by the First Amendment when the Supreme Court decision was handed down in Texas v. Johnson .  In the case of Texas v. Johnson, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that a Texas flag desecration law violated the First Amendment. The case revolved around Gregory Lee Johnson, who burned a U.S. flag during protests...

On this day, June 20th, in legal history, Lizzie Borden was found not guilty of the murders of her stepmother and father. Lizzie Borden, born in 1860, stood trial for the murders of her stepmother and father in 1892. Although she was acquitted, she remains infamous for the crimes. The murders took place in Fall River, Massachusetts, on August 4, 1892, with Lizzie's father found on the living room...

On this day, June 16th, in legal history, landmark New Deal legislation was passed in an effort to usher the country out of the Great Depression.  The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) was passed by Congress on June 16, 1933 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's efforts to revive the U.S. economy during the Great Depression. It established the National Recovery Administration (NRA), w...

On this day, June 15th, in legal history, King John sealed the Magna Carta, which established fundamental rights as law in England.  On June 15, 1215, King John reluctantly sealed the Magna Carta in response to the demands of rebellious barons, aiming to avoid a civil war. Despite being invalidated by Pope Innocent III just 10 weeks later, the Magna Carta was reissued multiple times after King Joh...

On this day, June 14th, in legal history, the Supreme Court issued its decision in West Virginia State Board v. Barnette , holding that students cannot be compelled to salute the American flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public school. When issues of compelled patriotism are discussed, advocates of compulsion generally frame these issues as unique “problems” of modernity. So you may be s...

On this day, June 13th, in legal history, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision Miranda v. Arizona .  In Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court dealt with four cases involving interrogations of suspects in police custody. In each case, the defendants were questioned in a secluded room without being adequately informed of their rights. The interrogations resulted in oral and written confess...

On this day, June 12th, in legal history the landmark Supreme Court Decision Loving v. Virginia was decided.  On June 12, 1967, a relatively scant 56 years ago, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Loving v. Virginia . Mildred and Richard Loving, an interracial couple, faced legal challenges when they moved to Virginia, where interracial marriage was prohibited. They filed a lawsuit, arguing t...

On this day, June 9th, in legal history Warren Burger succeeded Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. On May 21, 1969, President Richard M. Nixon put forth the nomination of Burger to become Chief Justice of the United States. This appointment received confirmation from the Senate on this day, June 9, in 1969, and Burger assumed office on June 23, 1969. The Burger court,...

On this day, June 8, in legal history James Madison first proposed the Bill of Rights.  On June 8, 1789, James Madison presented the proposed Bill of Rights to the House of Representatives. Initially, Madison included more amendments than what eventually made it into the final version. The House agreed on a Bill of Rights with 17 amendments, but later the Senate consolidated them to 12. Ultimately...

On this day, June 7, in legal history Griswold v. Connecticut was decided by the US Supreme Court, holding that the use of contraceptives was protected by the constitutional right to privacy.  In the landmark case of Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), the Supreme Court struck down a Connecticut law that criminalized the use of birth control devices and the provision of advice regarding their use. The...

On this day in legal history the Securities and Exchange Commission was established. During the 1920s, the United States experienced a period of economic growth known as the "Roaring 20s," characterized by prosperity, consumerism, and increased debt. Many people invested in the stock market, taking huge risks without federal oversight. However, on October 29, 1929, known as "Black Tuesday," the st...

On this day in legal history the landmark Supreme Court decision of Sweatt v. Painter was decided.  In 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt, an African American man, applied to the all-white University of Texas School of Law but was denied admission based on his race. This decision was made in accordance with the segregated policy outlined in Article VII, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution. Sweatt took lega...

On this day in legal history, Italy turned from a monarchy into a republic following a public referendum.   On June 2, 1946, Italy underwent a momentous transformation as it transitioned from a monarchy to a republic, marking a significant milestone in its history. This pivotal event was the result of a nationwide referendum held following the fall of Fascism and the end of World War II. The choic...

We have a patent anniversary to acknowledge today as our “this day in legal history” entry. On this day in 1869, Thomas Alva Edison was granted a patent for an electric voting machine to be used by Congress.  The “Vote Recorder” was Edison's first patented invention and was specifically designed for legislative bodies like Congress. His motivation for creating this device came from reports in the...

We have a somber anniversary to acknowledge today as our “this day in legal history” entry. On this day in 1921 the Tulsa race massacre occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  In May 1921, the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a thriving and prosperous community built by Black people. It was known as America's Black Wall Street and was home to approximately 10,000 residents. Greenwood had a vib...

On this day in 1431 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Born in France somewhere around 1412, she emerged as a pivotal figure during the Hundred Years' War. Joan, a peasant girl, claimed to receive divine visions that called her to rally the French against the English invaders. Numerous theories have been floated by modern scholars as to the underlying cause of the visions, but that makes little...

We have another Andrew Johnson-related “this day in legal history” for today – on May 26 in 1868, the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson concluded without conviction.  In 1868, President Johnson faced impeachment, and his fate rested on a single vote in the Senate trial. Johnson had become president after Abraham Lincoln's assassination and had a strained relationship with Republican le...

We have a fun “this day in legal history” for today – it's the anniversary of the start of the Scopes Monkey Trial.  The Scopes "monkey trial" took place in 1925 and involved the prosecution of high school teacher John T. Scopes for teaching evolution, which was prohibited by Tennessee's Butler Act . Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but the Tennessee Supreme Court later overturned the convi...

We have an interesting “this day in legal history” for today – its Benjamin Cardozo’s birthday. If he were alive today he’d be 153 years old and thus very dead. Who is he? Well… Benjamin Cardozo, born on May 24, 1870, in New York City, was an influential associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1932 to 1938. He was known for his creative approach to common-law judging and legal es...

We have an interesting “this day in legal history” for today – on May 23, 1788 South Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution and became the eighth state.  South Carolina's journey towards statehood can be traced back to the early days of the United States. Initially, the area was encompassed within the original territory defined in the 1663 charter establishing Carolina, which included both North...

We have a potentially perspective-shifting “this day in legal history” for today. On this day, May 22, in 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the General Amnesty Act. Under the provisions of the act, all but around 500 Southern male voters had their voting rights reinstated after losing them for, you know, starting the Civil War. For a reference point, total numbers for the army of the Confede...

We have an interesting this day in colonialism, I’m sorry legal, history today: on May 19, 1848 Mexico ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, ending the Mexican–American war and ceding about half of Mexico’s territory to the United States. The treaty did not explicitly list the territories to be ceded and avoided addressing the disputed issues that led to the war, such as the validity of Texas'...