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Eisenstadt V. Baird (1971)

 

Document 1

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William O. Douglas
Copied: William J. Brennan, Jr.
On: November 23rd, 1971
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: 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 2

From: William O. Douglas
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: None
On: November 23rd, 1971
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 3

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 13th, 1971
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 4

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 13th, 1971
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 5

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: December 13th, 1971
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 J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: December 22nd, 1971
Action: Join Majority If...
Justice sends memo to majority opinion author that states that the conditions under which the justice can or will not join the majority opinion; this includes memos with language like will join if..., will join the majority opinion if author makes changes suggested by another justice, or will join part of majority opinion if...; these memos may also state that a justice cannot join majority opinion if..., or could not join an opinion with a particular point, will withdraw join if...
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
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 J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 23rd, 1971
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 8

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: December 28th, 1971
Action: May Join Dissent
Memos where a justice expresses the inclination to join a dissenting opinion, including joining the dissent in part; memos may also state a justice’s intention to join a dissent if another justice writes or circulates one; memos may also state that a justice expects to join or tentatively joins a dissent
Action: May Write Dissenting Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will likely) write a dissenting opinion (e.g., considering a dissent, expects to write dissent, will probably write dissent, may write dissent in part, inclined to dissent, shall likely be in dissent, may not write dissent, and hope not to write dissent)

Document 9

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 29th, 1971
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 10

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 5th, 1972
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 11

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 7th, 1972
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 12

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Byron R. White
Copied: Conference
On: February 29th, 1972
Action: Join Concurrence
Memos where a justice states that they join a concurring opinion, including joining a concurrence in part, joining a concurrence in judgment or result, or joining a concurrence at foot. The identity of the concurring opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 13

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 2nd, 1972
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 14

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 10th, 1972
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 15

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Byron R. White
Copied: None
On: March 13th, 1972
Action: Attached Material Relevant to a Case
This may include memos about maps or pictures that will be incorporated in opinion; cover memo to circulation of some relevant non-case material for an opinion (e.g., newspaper article, related lower court opinion); memos may mention extra-court material that might be relevant (e.g., congressional hearings, a statute, other opinions that are somehow (perhaps tangentially) related to case at hand); circulation of clerk’s memo about case

Document 16

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 16th, 1972
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 17

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 17th, 1972
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 18

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 20th, 1972
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 19

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 21st, 1972
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 20

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 21st, 1972
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 21

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 21st, 1972
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 22

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 21st, 1972
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 23

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 22nd, 1972
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft