For our writing assignment this term, you must read and familiarize yourself with a decision of the United States Supreme Court from the just completed 2020-2021 term of the court. The docket contained a number of interesting decisions, including the following:  

  • Mahoney Area School District v Levy. This decision analyzed whether or not a cheerleader could be punished for a profane statement she posted on snapchat or whether the statement was constitutionally protected.
  • Fulton v City of Philadelphia. A catholic social service agency contracted with the city of Philadelphia to place adopted children but refused to comply with the city’s laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ families and placed children with heterosexual couples only. The court confronts whether the agency is protected by religious liberty or whether the practice unfairly discriminates against LGBTQ couples.
  • Brnovich v Democratic National Committee. A challenge to changes to voting laws in Arizona, which prohibit a person from voting in the wrong precinct or from relying on another person to collect and drop off their ballots.
  • California v Texas. A challenge to the constitutionality to the Affordable Care Act a/k/a Obamacare.
  • Americans for Prosperity v Bonta. A challenge to a California mandating disclosure of the identity of donors to a charity.
  • Cedar Point Nursery v Hassid. A challenge to a California that required union representatives to be allowed to meet with farmworkers at the worksite or whether such requirement violated the rights of their employer.
  • NCAA v Alston. Whether the NCAA has the authority to outlaw compensation to college athletes on the basis of maintaining their amateur status.
  • Roman Catholic Archdioceses of Brooklyn v Cuomo. Whether the state of New York had the authority to ban the in-person attendance of worship services during the pandemic.

 

The opinions of the Supreme Court can be found at the Supreme Court’s website, www. Supremecourt.gov. These opinions are from the “2020 term” of the United States Supreme Court. Please note: although I certainly want you to read and familiarize yourselves with the opinion you select to study, you are NOT required to print a copy of the opinion, as most are quite lengthy.

After you decides on a case to study, send me a message via email or canvas notifying me which you have decided to study.

            For your writing  , please do the following:

  •  Write a paper, approximately 3-5 pages long, identifying the case under review.
  • When discussing the case, make sure you  identify the key issue or issues before the court.
  • Explain the court’s ruling, and identify the precise rule of law to be gleaned from the decision. Is this case apt to be an important precedent? Why or why not?
  • Do you believe the court reached the proper result? Why or why not? No fence sitting here! Take a stand.
  • Was there a dissent? What was the key point or points about the dissent?
  • Were you impressed by the writings of any particular justice?

Although your paper is not due until Friday, August 20th, you must submit a rough draft of your paper to me no later than Friday, August 6th. 

If you would like to partner up with a classmate to work on the paper together, that is permissible. Please let me know if you are working on the paper alone or if your paper will be a joint effort with a classmate, 

Good Luck!