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Pasadena City Board Of Education V. Spangler (1975)

 

Document 1

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: May 3rd, 1976
Action: Suggestion before Majority Opinion Circulated
Justice makes a suggestion or lays out position in the case before the majority opinion is circulated; discussion of issues before an opinion has been drafted; memo laying out other justice's position or describing how other justices’ have voted so far in the case; lays out position without directing it at a circulating opinion
Action: Propose Disposition in Case (Vote in a Case)
DIG (dismiss cert as improvidently granted); want to reach merits instead of DIG; would not DIG; affirm; reverse; remand; vacate; moot; court lacks jurisdiction; conference vote; withhold vote for now; defer vote; adhere to conference vote; initial vote in case; change conference vote; memo asking how others' vote on disposition

Document 2

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: May 4th, 1976
Action: Suggestion before Majority Opinion Circulated
Justice makes a suggestion or lays out position in the case before the majority opinion is circulated; discussion of issues before an opinion has been drafted; memo laying out other justice's position or describing how other justices’ have voted so far in the case; lays out position without directing it at a circulating opinion
Action: May Write "Separate Opinion"
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will probably) write a "separate opinion"

Document 3

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 4th, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion Assignment
This may be an assignment of either the majority opinion or a memorandum opinion; memo may state that a justice has agreed to undertake the opinion of the Court; memo reassigns the case

Document 4

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 4th, 1976
Action: Memorandum Opinion
This refers to a memorandum opinion draft

Document 5

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 9th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 6

From: Potter Stewart
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 9th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 7

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 10th, 1976
Action: Memorandum Opinion
This refers to a memorandum opinion draft

Document 8

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 15th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 9

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 21st, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 10

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 22nd, 1976
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 11

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: June 22nd, 1976
Action: Join Dissent
Memos where a justice states that they join a dissenting opinion, including joining the dissent in part, joining a dissent from denial of cert, or joining a dissent at foot. The identity of the dissenting opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 12

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 24th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 13

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 25th, 1976
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 14

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 25th, 1976
Action: Proposes Disposition of Held Cases
Memo lists cases held for an opinion and gives cert votes or votes on the merits for the held cases; justice may state that held cases should be discussed at conference