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Rosebud Sioux Tribe V. Kneip (1976)

 

Document 1

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: January 25th, 1977
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: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 2nd, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 3

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 3rd, 1977
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part
Action: May Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice states the intent to join the majority opinion later (e.g., may join majority; will probably join majority; could join majority; agree tentatively; inclined to join; close to joining; agrees generally; agree with most of opinion; in basic agreement; intend to join; am prepared to join; expect to join; expect to join part of majority opinion; join unless someone else dissents; will join majority opinion if no majority exists; join unless someone else persuades me

Document 4

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 3rd, 1977
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 5

From: Potter Stewart
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 4th, 1977
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 6

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 7th, 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 7

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 10th, 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 8

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 14th, 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 9

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: None
On: March 15th, 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
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 10

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: None
On: March 16th, 1977
Action: Change is Acceptable
Memo indicating that a change to majority opinion is acceptable to a justice (e.g., suggested change is ok with me; like changes in majority opinion).
Action: Thank You Notes
Justices circulate memos thanking another justice for making a change to an opinion or thanking an author for considering a justice's suggestions
Action: May Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice states the intent to join the majority opinion later (e.g., may join majority; will probably join majority; could join majority; agree tentatively; inclined to join; close to joining; agrees generally; agree with most of opinion; in basic agreement; intend to join; am prepared to join; expect to join; expect to join part of majority opinion; join unless someone else dissents; will join majority opinion if no majority exists; join unless someone else persuades me
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 11

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 17th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 12

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 24th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 13

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 25th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 14

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 28th, 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 15

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 28th, 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 16

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: March 28th, 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 17

From: Potter Stewart
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: March 28th, 1977
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 18

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 30th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 19

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 18th, 1977
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