Show / Hide Files

Celotex Corp. V. Catrett (1985)

 

Document 1

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: October 22nd, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 2

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 24th, 1985
Action: Join Concur in Part and Dissent in Part
Memos where justices state that they join an opinion that concurs in part and dissents in part; alternatively, the opinion that is joined might concur in judgment and dissent. The identity of the opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 3

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: October 31st, 1985
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 4

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: October 31st, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 5

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 30th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 1st, 1986
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: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 1st, 1986
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: John Paul Stevens
Copied: William J. Brennan, Jr., Byron R. White
On: May 6th, 1986
Action: Memo About Opinion Assignment
This excludes memos that assign the opinion (see Code 606), but includes memos where a justice expresses the view that a case should be reassigned or a response to a majority opinion assignment; justice may request that majority opinion not be assigned to that justice; a justice may question why the opinion was not assigned; a justice (perhaps the Chief Justice) may tell a justice to assign the opinion; a memo may discuss not assigning the opinion to any justice

Document 9

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 6th, 1986
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: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 7th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 11

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 8th, 1986
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

Document 12

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 8th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 13

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 12th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 14

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 13th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 15

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 19th, 1986
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: May Write Concurring Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will likely) write a concurring opinion; this also applies to opinions that concur in part, concurrences in judgment, or concurrences at foot.

Document 16

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 20th, 1986
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 17

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 22nd, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 18

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 28th, 1986
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 19

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 3rd, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 20

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: June 4th, 1986
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 21

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 6th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 22

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 17th, 1986
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
Action: Will Join Dissent If...
Justice states conditions for joining a dissent, including a dissent in part. The identity of the dissenting opinion author who receives this suggestion is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 23

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 18th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 24

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 25th, 1986
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