Minimum Competence

This Day in Legal History: UK’s House of Lords Becomes Elected Body On March 7, 2007, a pivotal moment in British legal and political history unfolded as the House of Commons, Britain's lower house of Parliament, voted in favor of transforming the House of Lords into an elected body. This significant decision marked the beginning of the end for the centuries-old tradition of appointments based on...

This Day in Legal History: Dred Scott Decided On this day in legal history, March 6th, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its infamous decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford , a landmark case that deepened the nation's sectional divisions and paved the way for the Civil War. The Court, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, ruled that Dred Scott, an enslaved man who resided in free territories, was not...

This Day in Legal History: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Takes Effect On this day in legal history, March 5 marks a pivotal moment in the realm of international law and global security. In 1970, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) officially took effect, following its ratification by 43 countries. This landmark agreement represented a monumental effort by the international community to p...

This Day in Legal History: The Copyright Act of 1909 is Enacted On this day in legal history, March 4, 1909, marks a pivotal moment for copyright law in the United States with the enactment of the Copyright Act of 1909. This legislation fundamentally transformed the landscape of copyright protection by making the infringement of a copyright a federal crime for the first time. Prior to this act, co...

This Day in Legal History: Civil Rights Act of 1875 On March 1, 1875, a significant milestone in the journey toward civil rights in the United States was reached with the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This groundbreaking legislation aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in public accommodations, such as inns, public conveyances, theaters, and other places of public amusement, decla...

This Day in Legal History: Jay Treaty Signed On this day in legal history, February 29, 1796, the Jay Treaty, also known as the Treaty of London, was formally proclaimed, marking a significant moment in the post-Revolutionary War era between the United States and Great Britain. Negotiated by John Jay, the U.S. Chief Justice at the time, the treaty aimed to resolve lingering tensions and disputes t...

This Day in Legal History: Reichstag Fire Decree On February 28, 1933, a pivotal moment in German legal history unfolded with the issuance of the Presidential Decree for the Protection of People and State by President Paul von Hindenburg. This decree emerged in the immediate aftermath of the Reichstag Fire, a calamitous event where the German Parliament building was engulfed in flames. Dubbed the...

This Day in Legal History: 22nd Amendment Ratified  On this day in legal history, February 27, 1951, marked a pivotal moment in the governance of the United States with the ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment introduced a significant change to the presidential tenure by limiting the officeholder to two elected terms, effectively preventing any individual fro...

This Day in Legal History: National Banking Act On this day in legal history, February 26 marks a significant national moment with President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the National Banking Act into law in 1863. This significant legislation established the framework for the American banking charter system, introducing a standardized currency and founding the Office of the Comptroller of Currency...

This Day in Legal History: W.E.B. DuBois is Born On this day in legal history, February 23 commemorates the birth of W.E.B. DuBois in 1868, a seminal figure in the realm of civil rights and one of the founding members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). DuBois was not only instrumental in the creation of the NAACP but also served as a beacon of intellectual a...

This Day in Legal History: Felix Frankfurter Dies On this day in legal history, February 22, 1965, the legal community and the United States at large lost one of its most influential and intellectually formidable figures, Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, who passed away in Washington, DC. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1882, Frankfurter emigrated to the U.S. with his family, rising from humbl...

This Day in Legal History: Watergate Figures Sentenced Today in legal history, February 21 marks a significant moment in the annals of American jurisprudence and the power of the presidency. On this day in 1975, three key figures from President Richard Nixon's administration were handed prison sentences for their roles in the Watergate scandal, an event that would forever alter the landscape of po...

This Day in Legal History: United States v. Peters On this day in legal history, February 20, 1809, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision in United States v. Peters , fundamentally shaping the balance of power between federal and state authorities in the United States. Chief Justice John Marshall, presiding over the case, issued a ruling that underscored the supremacy of the federal...

This Day in Legal History: King Tut’s Tomb Opened On this day in legal history, February 16, 1923, the opening of King Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter not only captivated the world with its historical and archaeological significance but also set the stage for a series of legal debates and regulations concerning the protection of cultural heritage. This event underscored the importance of laws...

This Day in Legal History: Women Admitted to Practice Before Supreme Court On February 15, 1879, a landmark moment unfolded in the annals of American legal history as President Rutherford B. Hayes signed groundbreaking legislation that fundamentally transformed the legal profession in the United States. This legislation, a pivotal stride towards gender equality, granted women the right to practice...

This Day in Legal History: Congress Permits Voting Machines in Federal Elections On this day in legal history, February 14, 1899, Congress marked a significant technological leap in the electoral process by approving the use of voting machines for federal elections. This decision opened a new chapter in how votes were cast and counted, moving away from the traditional paper ballots towards a more...

This Day in Legal History: David Dudley Field is Born  On this day in legal history, we commemorate the birth of David Dudley Field, a pivotal figure in the codification of American law, born in Haddam, Connecticut, on February 13, 1805. Field's contributions to the legal landscape of the United States are monumental, as he tirelessly worked towards the simplification and organization of legal sta...

This Day in Legal History: Slobodan Milosevic Trial Begins On this day in legal history, the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, a pivotal figure in the Balkan civil wars of the 1990s, commenced on February 12, 2002, at The Hague, The Netherlands. Held at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), this landmark case marked a significant moment in international law. Milosevic, w...

This Day in Legal History: Jamaican Independence  On this day in legal history, February 9, 1962, marks a significant milestone for Jamaica as it achieved full independence, breaking away from the Federation of the West Indies. This pivotal moment in Jamaican history was the culmination of a long journey towards sovereignty, reflecting the island nation's desire for self-governance and control ove...

This Day in Legal History: Mary Queen of Scots Executed On this day in legal history, February 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots, met her tragic end at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England. Her execution marked a pivotal moment in the turbulent history of the British monarchy, stemming from her alleged involvement in the Babington Plot, a scheme devised to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and p...

This Day in Legal History: The Maastricht Treaty Creates the EU On this day in legal history, the Maastricht Treaty stands out as a monumental agreement that reshaped the political and economic landscape of Europe. Signed on February 7, 1992, by the members of the European Community, this pivotal treaty marked the foundation of the European Union (EU), a milestone in the integration of European co...

This Day in Legal History: The Permanent Court of Arbitration is Established On this day, February 6, 1900, a pivotal moment in the realm of international law unfolded with the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), marking the inception of the first international tribunal dedicated to resolving disputes among nations. This historic event was precipitated by the ratification of...

This Day in Legal History: FDR Tries to Pack the Court On this day in legal history, February 5, 1937, marks a significant moment when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt unveiled his controversial "court-packing" plan. This bold proposal aimed to expand the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts by allowing the addition of new judges whenever an existing judge aged...

This Day in Legal History: The Incorporation of the City of New Amsterdam On this day in legal history, February 2nd marks a significant moment with the incorporation of the City of New Amsterdam in 1653 by the Dutch Republic. This historic event laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most influential cities in the world. Situated on the southern tip of Manhattan Island, New Amsterda...

This Day in Legal History: First Meeting of the Supreme Court On this day in legal history, a landmark event occurred on February 1, 1790, marking a significant moment in the American judicial system. On this date, the Supreme Court of the United States convened for its inaugural session, a pivotal step in establishing the country's legal framework. This historic meeting took place in the Merchant...