Show / Hide Files

United States V. Martin Linen Supply Co. (1976)

 

Document 1

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: October 26th, 1976
Action: Per Curiam Opinion
This refers to a draft per curiam opinion

Document 2

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: October 26th, 1976
Action: Cover Memo to Memorandum Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion (not assigned author)
Cover Memo to Memorandum Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion (not assigned author)

Document 3

From: Potter Stewart
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 1976
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case
Action: Will Dissent If...
Justice states conditions for a dissent, including a dissent in part; memo may also state conditions for withdrawing a dissenting opinion

Document 4

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 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 5

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 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: William H. Rehnquist
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 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: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 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 8

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 1976
Action: Endorse Another Justice's Suggestion
Memos where a justice states agreement with another justice's suggestion to the majority opinion author (e.g., I am about where Justice X is, agree with Justice X's letter to you, I have no problem with Justice X's suggestion, agree with another justice's comment, is Justice X's suggestion ok with you). The identity of the justice whose suggestion is endorsed is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 9

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 1976
Action: Endorse Another Justice's Suggestion
Memos where a justice states agreement with another justice's suggestion to the majority opinion author (e.g., I am about where Justice X is, agree with Justice X's letter to you, I have no problem with Justice X's suggestion, agree with another justice's comment, is Justice X's suggestion ok with you). The identity of the justice whose suggestion is endorsed is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 10

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 1976
Action: Endorse Another Justice's Suggestion
Memos where a justice states agreement with another justice's suggestion to the majority opinion author (e.g., I am about where Justice X is, agree with Justice X's letter to you, I have no problem with Justice X's suggestion, agree with another justice's comment, is Justice X's suggestion ok with you). The identity of the justice whose suggestion is endorsed is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 11

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 27th, 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 12

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 22nd, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 13

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 22nd, 1977
Action: Cover Memo to Separate Opinion
This indicates a cover memo to any separate opinion, including concurring, dissenting, or any other type of separate opinion

Document 14

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 22nd, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 15

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 23rd, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 16

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 23rd, 1977
Action: Not Participating
These memos inform the Court whether a justice is "out" for a case; the memo may ask the opinion author to note the justice took no part in consideration of a case; memos may inform the Court that a justice is participating (e.g., not out; not recuse); memos may concern whether a justice should recuse himself or herself (e.g., may recuse self; have not decided whether to participate; do not think I should recuse); memos written by other justices about a colleague's recusal

Document 17

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 23rd, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 18

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 24th, 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 19

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 24th, 1977
Action: May Write "Separate Opinion"
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will probably) write a "separate opinion"

Document 20

From: Byron R. White
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 25th, 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 21

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
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 22

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 29th, 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 23

From: Potter Stewart
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: March 31st, 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 24

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 31st, 1977
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 25

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 31st, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 26

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 13th, 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