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Piper V. Chris-craft Industries, Inc. (1976)

 

Document 1

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 21st, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: December 22nd, 1976
Action: Will Write Dissenting Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a dissenting opinion draft, including that a dissenting opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the dissenting opinion will be circulated; this also applies to statements responding to dissent assignments like will be glad to write dissent, self-assignment of dissent (e.g., we are in dissent and I will write it), or requesting permission to write dissent (e.g., is it ok if I write a dissent)

Document 3

From: Potter Stewart
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: December 22nd, 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.
Action: Will Make Suggestion
Memo states that a justice will make a suggestion to the majority opinion, including statements that a justice will postpone making a suggestion for now or that the justice may make suggestion

Document 4

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 28th, 1976
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 5

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 28th, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion Author's Response
May be response to a suggestion, reservation, or a separate opinion; may also say that author will respond to another opinion; may state majority opinion author's change to opinion that was not prompted by another justice; may indicate that the opinion is different from the conference discussion; may be a circulation of a portion of the opinion (a footnote, multiple pages without circulating the whole opinion); may be a suggestion from the majority opinion author regarding several options for changing majority opinion; may be a suggestion from the author for a change that could be made to opinion

Document 6

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 29th, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion Author's Response
May be response to a suggestion, reservation, or a separate opinion; may also say that author will respond to another opinion; may state majority opinion author's change to opinion that was not prompted by another justice; may indicate that the opinion is different from the conference discussion; may be a circulation of a portion of the opinion (a footnote, multiple pages without circulating the whole opinion); may be a suggestion from the majority opinion author regarding several options for changing majority opinion; may be a suggestion from the author for a change that could be made to opinion

Document 7

From: Byron R. White
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: December 29th, 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.
Action: Will Make Suggestion
Memo states that a justice will make a suggestion to the majority opinion, including statements that a justice will postpone making a suggestion for now or that the justice may make suggestion

Document 8

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: December 29th, 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 9

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: December 30th, 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.
Action: Will Make Suggestion
Memo states that a justice will make a suggestion to the majority opinion, including statements that a justice will postpone making a suggestion for now or that the justice may make suggestion
Action: Suggestion to Majority Opinion
This includes memo with broad statements including that a justice cannot join the opinion, cannot join a part of the opinion, does not agree with the opinion, or has continuing doubts with the opinion; memos that indicate that the author's change is not enough; memos that make suggestions for specific changes to majority opinion or that express reservations about some aspect of the majority opinion; this code is also given for suggestions to memorandum opinions by an assigned author

Document 10

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: December 30th, 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.
Action: Suggestion to Majority Opinion
This includes memo with broad statements including that a justice cannot join the opinion, cannot join a part of the opinion, does not agree with the opinion, or has continuing doubts with the opinion; memos that indicate that the author's change is not enough; memos that make suggestions for specific changes to majority opinion or that express reservations about some aspect of the majority opinion; this code is also given for suggestions to memorandum opinions by an assigned author

Document 11

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: January 4th, 1977
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 12

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 7th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 13

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: January 13th, 1977
Action: Separate Opinion Author's Response
Circulation of Change to Separate Opinion (e.g., footnote, portion of opinion, adding paragraph); this occurs in a memo, not on a draft opinion; circulation of change to unlabeled opinion

Document 14

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: January 17th, 1977
Action: Will Write Concurring Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a concurring opinion draft, including that a concurring opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the concurring opinion will be circulated; this may also apply to opinions that concur in part or concur in the judgment or result

Document 15

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 18th, 1977
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 16

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: None
On: January 19th, 1977
Action: Suggestion to Majority Opinion
This includes memo with broad statements including that a justice cannot join the opinion, cannot join a part of the opinion, does not agree with the opinion, or has continuing doubts with the opinion; memos that indicate that the author's change is not enough; memos that make suggestions for specific changes to majority opinion or that express reservations about some aspect of the majority opinion; this code is also given for suggestions to memorandum opinions by an assigned author

Document 17

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: None
On: January 21st, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion Author's Response
May be response to a suggestion, reservation, or a separate opinion; may also say that author will respond to another opinion; may state majority opinion author's change to opinion that was not prompted by another justice; may indicate that the opinion is different from the conference discussion; may be a circulation of a portion of the opinion (a footnote, multiple pages without circulating the whole opinion); may be a suggestion from the majority opinion author regarding several options for changing majority opinion; may be a suggestion from the author for a change that could be made to opinion

Document 18

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 21st, 1977
Action: Cover Memo to Majority Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion
This includes a cover memo to memorandum opinion if written by the assigned author; cover memo to changes to majority opinion

Document 19

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 21st, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 20

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 8th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 21

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 10th, 1977
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 22

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 16th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 23

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 17th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion Author's Response
May be response to a suggestion, reservation, or a separate opinion; may also say that author will respond to another opinion; may state majority opinion author's change to opinion that was not prompted by another justice; may indicate that the opinion is different from the conference discussion; may be a circulation of a portion of the opinion (a footnote, multiple pages without circulating the whole opinion); may be a suggestion from the majority opinion author regarding several options for changing majority opinion; may be a suggestion from the author for a change that could be made to opinion