Minimum Competence

This Day in Legal History: President Johnson Acquitted On May 16, 1868, a significant moment in U.S. legal and political history occurred when President Andrew Johnson was acquitted in his impeachment trial. Johnson, who had ascended to the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, was charged with high crimes and misdemeanors, primarily stemming from his violations of the Tenure...

This Day in Legal History: Standard Oil Dissolved On this day in legal history, May 15, 1911, the United States Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision that significantly altered the landscape of American business practices. The case in question was Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States , where the Court found Standard Oil guilty of monopolistic practices in violation of the Sherman...

This Day in Legal History: Constitutional Convention Assembles On May 14, 1787, a pivotal moment unfolded in American history as delegates from each state began to gather in Philadelphia for what would be known as the Constitutional Convention. This assembly was critical in shaping the nation's future, aimed at addressing the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation—the loose framework that i...

This Day in Legal History: Cutting Funding to Segregated Schools On May 13, 1966, a significant moment in the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 unfolded, marking a pivotal step in the U.S. government's commitment to desegregation in education. This action targeted twelve segregated Southern school districts, which were found to be in violation of the federal desegregation guidelines esta...

This Day in Legal History: Corporations Are “Persons” Under 14th Amendment On May 10, 1886, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision in the case of Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company , fundamentally altering the legal landscape for corporations in the United States. This ruling established that corporations were to be considered "persons" under the Fourteenth Amend...

This Day in Legal History: Impeachment Hearings Against Nixon On May 9, 1974, a significant event unfolded in the political and legal history of the United States as the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Representative Peter Rodino (D-NJ), initiated impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon. This marked a crucial point in the Watergate scandal, an episode that had gripped the nation...

This Day in Legal History: Smallpox Eradicated On May 8, 1980, a landmark moment in public health and legal history was achieved when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared smallpox eradicated. This declaration came in the form of Resolution WHA33.3, marking an unprecedented victory in the battle against infectious diseases. Smallpox, a devastating disease known for its brutal imp...

This Day in Legal History: 27th Amendment Ratified On May 7, 1992, a significant addition was made to the United States Constitution with the ratification of the Twenty-seventh Amendment. This amendment, which prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives, addresses concerns...

This Day in Legal History: On May 6, 1882, a pivotal moment in U.S. immigration history occurred with the signing of the Chinese Exclusion Act by President Chester A. Arthur. This federal law marked the first and only time that the United States explicitly barred a specific ethnic or national group from immigrating to the country, specifically targeting Chinese laborers. The Act not only prevented...

This Day in Legal History: Racist Restrictive Covenants Struck Down On May 3, 1948, a significant legal decision was rendered by the United States Supreme Court, fundamentally altering the landscape of civil rights and property law. The case, Shelley v. Kraemer , addressed the pernicious practice of racially-restrictive covenants in real estate. These covenants were agreements embedded in the deed...

This Day in Legal History: Hoover Dead On this day, May 2, in 1972, J. Edgar Hoover, the controversial and influential Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), passed away at the age of 77. Hoover had been at the helm of the FBI since 1924, dramatically shaping the agency's direction and methods for nearly half a century. His tenure began during the tumultuous era of Prohibition when...

This Day in Legal History: First Union Formed On May 1, 1794, a pivotal development in labor rights history occurred in Philadelphia with the formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers. This organization, consisting of skilled shoemakers, marks the establishment of the first trade union in the United States. The union was created as a response to the increasingly difficult economic...

This Day in Legal History: Organization of American States Established On this day, April 30, in 1948, a significant event in the realm of international law and diplomacy occurred with the establishment of the Organization of American States (OAS). This was formalized through the signing of the Charter of the Organization of American States during the Ninth International Conference of American Sta...

This Day in Legal History: Oliver Ellsworth Born On this day in legal history, April 29 marks the birth of Oliver Ellsworth in 1745, in Windsor, Connecticut. A pivotal figure in early American jurisprudence, Ellsworth's contributions to the United States legal system are profound and lasting. As the third Chief Justice of the United States, a position he assumed in 1796, Ellsworth helped shape the...

This Day in Legal History: WIPO Established On April 26, 1970, a significant advancement in the protection and management of intellectual property took place with the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This marked the enforcement of the Convention Establishing WIPO, making it one of the specialized agencies under the United Nations focused on intellectual propert...

This Day in Legal History: First French Execution by Guillotine On April 25, 1792, a significant event in the history of capital punishment occurred in France: the first execution by guillotine. The individual subjected to this new method was Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier, a highwayman known for his criminal activities. The guillotine was introduced as a more humane method of execution, believed to of...

This Day in Legal History: WWI German Use of Chemical Weapons on Canadian Troops On April 24, 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres in World War I, German forces launched one of the first large-scale chemical weapon attacks in history. This attack targeted Canadian troops stationed near the town of Ypres in Belgium. The Germans released chlorine gas, which spread over the Allied trenches, causin...

This Day in Legal History: Sirhan Sirhan Sentenced to Death On this day in legal history, April 23, 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a pivotal moment in American political and legal narratives. Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian immigrant, was convicted of murdering Kennedy on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Califor...

This Day in Legal History: Harlan Fiske Stone Dies On April 22, 1946, the United States Supreme Court lost one of its distinguished jurists, Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone, who died unexpectedly at the age of 73 while still serving on the bench. Appointed as Chief Justice in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Stone had originally been nominated to the Court as an Associate Justice in 1925...

This Day in Legal History: Beatles Sign 10 Year Partnership Agreement On this day in legal history, April 19, 1967, The Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, entered into a significant legal agreement that aimed to bind them together as a group for another decade. The partnership deed they signed not only reflected their intent to continue collaborating...

This Day in Legal History: Republic of Ireland Act On April 18, 1949, a significant transformation in Ireland's political and legal landscape occurred with the enactment of the Republic of Ireland Act. This pivotal legislation marked the culmination of Ireland's progressive move towards full sovereignty, severing the last formal ties with the British monarchy. Previously, the Executive Authority A...

This Day in Legal History: Sirhan Sirhan Convicted On this day in legal history, April 17, 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of one of the most high-profile crimes of the 20th century—the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy, a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, was shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, shortly...

This Day in Legal History: MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., a central figure in the American civil rights movement, penned one of the most significant literary pieces in American history—his " Letter from Birmingham Jail. " His writing came during a pivotal time for civil rights, following his arrest for participating in nonviolent demonstrations agains...

This Day in Legal History: Unsinkable Sinks On this day in legal history, April 15 marks the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, a maritime disaster that led to significant legal repercussions. After striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic, the Titanic sank, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 lives out of the 2,228 passengers and crew aboard. This tragedy not only devastated families but also p...

This Day in Legal History: The Trial of Galileo On April 12, 1633, a pivotal moment in the annals of legal and scientific history unfolded as Galileo Galilei faced the Roman Catholic Church's formal inquisition on charges of heresy. This trial was not merely a religious condemnation but a significant clash between emerging scientific ideas and established ecclesiastical doctrine. Galileo, by advoc...