Minimum Competence

We have a this day in history from north of our border here in the United States. On this day, July 7th, in legal history, Canada enacted the Official Languages Act which made French equal to English as an official language of the state. The Official Languages Act of 1969 was a significant piece of legislation in Canada. It declared English and French as the official languages of Canada for all pu...

On this day, July 5th, in legal history, a death sentence for a Florida man convicted of a racially motivated murder was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States.  In the case of Barclay v. Florida (1983), the petitioner and a group of men aimed to indiscriminately kill white individuals and incite a racial war. They murdered a white hitchhiker in Florida. The petitioner was found guilty o...

On this day, July 5th, in legal history, jury selection began for the trial of the Chicago “Black Sox” baseball players accused of throwing the 1919 World Series. The Black Sox scandal , which unfolded during the 1919 World Series, was not an isolated incident in the history of baseball and gambling. The sport had a long-standing and often troubled relationship with gambling, with instances of gam...

On this day, June 30th, in legal history, the 26th Amendment was ratified making the legal voting age a uniform 18. The amendment is straight and to the point, consistent of two sections and holding: Section 1 The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. Section 2...

Thanks for reading Minimum Competence! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. On this day, June 28th, in legal history, the Supreme Court held the death penalty at that time in place in many states was unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment.  On June 28th, 1972, in the case of Furman v. Georgia , the United States Supreme Court declared all existing death penalty l...

On this day, June 28th, in legal history, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down their decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and ruled that quota systems could not be used in college admissions, but programs that incentivize accepting minority applicants are permissible.  Regents of the University of California v. Bakke was a landmark Supreme Court case decided o...

On this day, June 27th, in legal history, the Federal Housing Administration came into being.  The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was established in 1934 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program during the Great Depression. On June 27, 1934, the National Housing Act was passed which functionally created the FHA. The primary goal of the FHA was to stabilize the housing ma...

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...