Minimum Competence

On November 19th, a significant day in legal history, we commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s delivery of the Gettysburg Address, a speech that, despite its brevity, profoundly impacted the nation and its future. Lincoln, born into humble origins, rose to become one of America's most influential presidents. His commitment to equality and unity was unwavering, characteristics that shone through in his ico...

On this day in legal history, November 17, 1973, 50 years ago, President Richard Nixon declared he was not a crook.  On November 17, 1973, a significant event unfolded in the annals of American legal and political history and carried with it major cultural significance. President Richard Nixon, amidst the escalating Watergate scandal, delivered a televised Q&A session with Associated Press managin...

On this day in legal history, November 16, 1973, a pivotal moment in U.S. energy and environmental law occurred when President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act. This Act marked a significant shift in the nation's approach to energy resource development and environmental policy. By sanctioning the construction of an 800-mile oil pipeline from Prudhoe Bay in the north...

This day in legal history, November 15th stands out as a significant moment in American legal history with the adoption of the Articles of Confederation by the Continental Congress in 1777. This critical step marked the formation of the United States of America under its first governing document. The Articles of Confederation were revolutionary, establishing a loose federation of sovereign states...

On November 14th, in the context of legal history, the story of Ruby Bridges stands out as a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, particularly in the desegregation of American schools. Born on September 8, 1954, in Tylertown, Mississippi, Ruby Bridges became a symbol of the civil rights movement on November 14, 1960, when she became the first African American child to integrate an all-whit...

This day in legal history, November 13, 1956, marked a significant moment in the American Civil Rights Movement. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a decisive action, upheld the ruling of the U.S. District Court in the case of Browder v. Gayle . This landmark decision affirmed that the segregation practices on Montgomery, Alabama’s public buses were unconstitutional, effectively dismantling the legal basi...

On this day in legal history, November 10, 1919, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a pivotal decision in Abrams v. United States , a case that profoundly impacted the interpretation of the First Amendment regarding free speech. This ruling upheld the 1918 Amendment to the Espionage Act of 1917, making it a criminal offense to urge the curtailment of war material production intended to hinder the U....

On this day in legal history, November 9, 1970, the Supreme Court of the United States voted 6-3 in Massachusetts v. Laird not to hear the case of Massachusetts’ anti-draft law.  Massachusetts v. Laird was a landmark legal case that reached the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and was not taken up by the Supreme Court, on this day in legal history. The case centered on the cons...

On this day in legal history, the “Trent Affair” occurred during the U.S. Civil War. The USS San Jacinto stopped the British mail ship Trent and arrested two Confederate envoys onboard–leading to a diplomatic crisis between the UK and the United States.  On the 8th of November, 1861, a diplomatic incident with potential major ramifications for the U.S. unfolded as Captain Charles Wilkes of the U.S...

On this day in legal history, November 7, 2000, the U.S. presidential election resulted in a statistical tie between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush, leading to a bitter legal dispute that was eventually settled by the U.S. Supreme Court on December 12​. On this day in the year 2000, the fabric of American democracy was stretched in a test of its resilience as the U.S. presidential...

On this day in legal history, November 6, 1917, New York state adopted a state constitutional amendment granting the vote to women.  On November 6, 1917, a pivotal moment in legal history unfolded as the state of New York adopted Amendment 1 , a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, which granted women equal voting rights. This landmark decision was the culmination of nearly seven decad...

On this day in legal history, we have another dark period in United States Supreme Court history–on November 3, 1884, the Supreme Court ruled in Elk v. Wilkins that John Elk, a Winnebago man, was not a citizen entitled to protection of the 14th and 15th Amendments of the US constitution. Today we delve into a disheartening chapter of the United States Supreme Court annals with the case of Elk v. W...

On this day in legal history, November 2nd 1795, President James Knox Polk was born–but he wasn’t born president, he was elected later in life. James Knox Polk, the 11th President of the United States (1845-1849), was a significant figure in American history known for his expansionist policies and borderline despotic leadership during a period of territorial growth. Before becoming President, Polk...

On this day in legal history, November 1, 1943, the federal Office of Price Administration implemented rent control in New York City. This day in legal history marks a crucial transition in the regulatory landscape of New York City's housing market. In 1943, amidst the economic upheavals of World War II, the Federal Office of Price Administration took a decisive step to mitigate the inflationary p...

On this day in legal history, October 31st, 1864, Congress admitted Nevada as the 36th state in the Union. This milestone occurred during a crucial period as President Abraham Lincoln sought re-election and support for his proposed 13th Amendment to the Constitution.  A noteworthy aspect of this process was the means by which Nevada communicated its intent for statehood. In an extraordinary displa...

This day in legal history, October 30, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the United States to lend or lease war provisions to those countries deemed in the vital interest of the US–in other words, the Allied Powers. This paved the way for the US entrance into World War II.  Roosevelt sanctioned $1 billion in aid to the Allies through the Lend-Lease...

This day in legal history, October 27, 1787, marks the first publication of the Federalist Papers, an event that significantly influenced the ratification of the United States Constitution. Written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the collective pseudonym "PUBLIUS," these essays were intended to sway public opinion in favor of adopting the new Constitution, which had been d...

On this day in legal history, on October 26, 1916, feminist and birth control activist Margaret Sanger was arrested for her pioneering efforts in promoting and distributing birth control information in the United States. Just days prior, on October 16, 1916, Sanger had opened the nation's first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York. This clinic, known as the Brownsville Clinic, aimed to provi...

On this day in legal history the first televised trial in New York hit the airwaves, paving the way to what would become Court TV and all the other reality-TV-meets-judicial-system abominations currently on air.  On October 25, 1988, New York witnessed its first-ever televised murder trial, involving Joel Steinberg and Hedda Nussbaum. The couple lived in a tumultuous relationship marked by drug ab...

On this day in legal history, October 24, the United Nations came into being. On October 24, 1945, a major milestone in international legal history was achieved with the ratification of the Charter of the United Nations. This marked the formal establishment of the United Nations (UN), an organization conceived at that time with the noble aim of promoting global peace, security, and cooperation amo...

On this day in legal history, October 23, 1987, the United States Senate rejected the nomination of Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, Bork, a distinguished legal scholar and a fervent conservative, faced staunch opposition primarily from the Democratic Senate, who were troubled by his originalist interpretations of the Constitution and his past controversia...

On this day in legal history, President Richard Nixon fired folks to try to keep a lid on the Watergate scandal. Turns out, that doesn’t work all that well.  On October 20, 1973, the "Saturday Night Massacre" unfolded, marking a pivotal moment in the Watergate scandal and American legal history. Solicitor General Robert Bork, acting on orders from President Richard Nixon, fired Watergate Special P...

On this day in legal history, October 19, 1765, the Stamp Act Congress convened in New York City, adopting resolutions that played a crucial role in shaping American constitutional theory and paving the way for the American Revolution. The Congress, comprised of delegates from nine American colonies, was formed as a united response to the Stamp Act of 1765. The act had imposed "internal" taxes on...

On this day in legal history in 1929, the Privy Council of the United Kingdom declared women officially “persons” under the laws of Canada. Which is good, that’s a good thing to do, generally. People should be persons.  On October 18, 1929, a landmark decision by the Privy Council of the United Kingdom fundamentally altered the legal status of women in Canada. On this day, the Privy Council overtu...

On this day in legal history, October 17, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed Public Law 95-79, a bill that retroactively restored the U.S. citizenship of Jefferson Davis, the former President of the Confederate States of America. The restoration of his citizenship by Carter, a Southern Democrat, was seen by some as a symbolic gesture aimed at post-Civil Rights Era reconciliation. Debates surround...