Minimum Competence

This Day in Legal History: Warsaw Pact States Join NATO On March 12, 1999, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland became the first former Warsaw Pact countries to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This historic moment marked a significant shift in the post-Cold War security landscape, as these nations formally aligned with the Western military alliance nearly a decade after the...

This Day in Legal History: Lend-Lease Act On March 11, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act into law, fundamentally reshaping U.S. foreign policy during World War II. The legislation empowered the President to provide military aid to countries deemed essential to American national security, even if they could not immediately pay for the supplies. This marked a decisive s...

This Day in Legal History: James Earl Ray Sentenced On March 10, 1969, James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ray had pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty but later recanted, claiming he was coerced into confessing. His conviction came just under a year after King was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memph...

This Day in Legal History: Bloody Sunday On March 7, 1965, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement unfolded in Selma, Alabama. A group of 525 peaceful demonstrators, led by activists like John Lewis and Hosea Williams, began a march to Montgomery to demand voting rights for Black Americans. As they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were met by Alabama state troopers and local law enforc...

This Day in Legal History: Dred Scott Decided On March 6, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its infamous ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford , a decision that deepened national tensions over slavery. The Court held that Dred Scott, an enslaved man who had lived in free territories, was not a U.S. citizen and therefore had no legal standing to sue for his freedom. In a sweeping opinion by Chief Just...

This Day in Legal History: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty On March 5, 1970, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) officially took effect, marking a major milestone in global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. The treaty, first opened for signatures in 1968, was ratified by 43 nations and established a framework based on three core principles: non-proliferation, disarmament, a...

This Day in Legal History: Abraham Lincoln Inaugurated  On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States, taking office at a time of immense national turmoil. Seven Southern states had already seceded from the Union, and the country teetered on the brink of civil war. In his inaugural address, Lincoln struck a careful balance between firmness and concili...

This Day in Legal History: Belva Lockwood Admitted to SCOTUS On March 3, 1879, Belva Lockwood shattered a major legal barrier by becoming the first woman admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. A pioneering attorney and women's rights advocate, Lockwood had faced repeated obstacles in her legal career simply because of her gender. After being denied admission to the Supreme Co...

This Day in Legal History: Reichstag Fire Decree On February 28, 1933, German President Paul von Hindenburg issued the Reichstag Fire Decree, formally known as the Presidential Decree for the Protection of People and State. The decree was a direct response to the Reichstag fire the night before, which the Nazi Party blamed on Communists. It suspended key civil liberties, including freedom of speec...

This Day in Legal History: 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution  On February 27, 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, formally limiting the president to two terms in office. This amendment was a direct response to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency, which spanned the Great Depression and World War II. Before Roosevelt, no president had served mor...

This Day in Legal History: Woodrow Wilson Signs Grand Canyon National Park Act On February 26, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Grand Canyon National Park Act, officially designating the Grand Canyon as a national park. This landmark decision aimed to preserve the canyon’s breathtaking landscapes, unique geological formations, and rich biodiversity for future generations. Prior to its nat...

This Day in Legal History: Lincoln Signs Legal Tender Act On February 25, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Legal Tender Act into law, allowing the U.S. government to issue paper money not backed by gold or silver. These new notes, called "greenbacks" due to their color, became the first widely circulated fiat currency in American history. The Civil War had placed enormous financial strai...

This Day in Legal History: Marbury vs. Madison Decided On February 24, 1803, the U.S. Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, issued its landmark decision in Marbury v. Madison , establishing the principle of judicial review. The case arose when William Marbury, appointed as a justice of the peace by outgoing President John Adams, sued Secretary of State James Madison for failing to del...

This Day in Legal History: John Mitchell Sentenced On February 21, 1975, former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell was sentenced to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal, along with Nixon's Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman and domestic adviser John Ehrlichman. The three men were convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury for their involvement in the cover-up of the 1972 break...

This Day in Legal History: United States v. Peters Decided On February 20, 1809, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in United States v. Peters , a case that reinforced the authority of federal courts over state legislatures. The dispute arose when the Pennsylvania legislature attempted to defy a federal court order regarding a financial judgment. Chief Justice John Marshall, writing for the...

This Day in Legal History: Executive Order 9066 On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Issued in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the order empowered the military to designate "exclusion zones" from which individuals could be removed. Although the order...

This Day in Legal History: First Formal Anti-slavery Resolution in American History On February 18, 1688, a group of Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania, drafted the first formal anti-slavery resolution in American history. Addressed to their local monthly meeting, the document condemned the practice of slavery and argued that it was incompatible with Christian teachings. The authors—Garret Hender...

This Day in Legal History: Bell and Gray File Patents On February 14, 1876, both Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray filed patent applications for the invention of the telephone, setting off one of the most famous legal battles in U.S. history. Bell’s lawyer submitted his paperwork to the U.S. Patent Office just hours before Gray’s, leading to a dispute over who truly invented the device. Gray’s...

This Day in Legal History: Judiciary Act of 1801 On February 13, 1801, the U.S. Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801, a controversial law that reshaped the federal court system. Enacted in the final days of John Adams’ presidency, the Act reduced the number of Supreme Court justices from six to five and created sixteen new federal judgeships. It also eliminated the justices’ duty to "ride cir...

This Day in Legal History: Milošević Stands Trial On February 12, 2002, the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević began at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. It was the first time a former head of state was tried for war crimes by an international tribunal. Milošević faced 66 charges, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and v...

This Day in Legal History: Birth of Edison On February 11, 1847, Thomas Edison was born, eventually becoming one of the most prolific inventors in history. While best known for innovations like the phonograph and the incandescent light bulb, Edison’s impact extended beyond technology—he played a major role in shaping intellectual property law. Over his lifetime, he was granted 1,093 U.S. patents,...

This Day in Legal History: 25th Amendment to the US Constitution  On February 10, 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, establishing clear procedures for presidential succession and addressing concerns about vacancies in the executive branch. The amendment was a response to historical ambiguities in presidential succession, particularly after the assassination of Presiden...

This Day in Legal History: 11th Amendment Ratified On February 7, 1795, the 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, restricting federal judicial power over lawsuits against states. The amendment was a direct response to the Supreme Court’s 1793 decision in Chisholm v. Georgia , which held that a private citizen of one state could sue another state in federal court. This ruling alarme...

This Day in Legal History: Permanent Court of Arbitration Established On February 6, 1900, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) was officially established following the ratification of the 1899 Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes. This marked a major step toward institutionalizing peaceful dispute resolution between nations. The PCA, headquartered in The Hague, Neth...

This Day in Legal History: Switch in Time that Saved Nine On February 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a controversial plan to expand the U.S. Supreme Court, a move that became known as the “court-packing” plan. Frustrated by the Court striking down key New Deal programs, Roosevelt sought to add up to six new justices, arguing it would make the Court more efficient. His plan allow...