March 18, 2013, marked the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's unanimous 1963 decision in "Gideon v. Wainwright." "Gideon," a petty criminal, accused of suspicion of breaking and entry was the seminal Supreme Court case that ruled that defendants in criminal cases have the right to an attorney even if they cannot afford to…

Federal court cases are examined in an effort to view recent First Amendment rights infringements which have occurred in Mississippi. Case law reinforces students' rights to wear same-sex outfits to school functions as well as to bring same-sex dates. Connection to a recent civil rights investigation by the NAACP into a north Mississippi middle…

Arizona's variation on government vouchers for religious schools and California's prohibition on the sale of violent video games to minors present the top two cases with implications for education in the U.S. Supreme Court term that formally begins Oct. 4. New Justice Elena Kagan brings to the court extensive education policy experience as a…

It is imperative that school administrators, athletic directors, and interscholastic/athletic associations become knowledgeable in the area of interscholastic athletics at the secondary level and fully understand its potential for litigation. Thus, the purpose of this research study is to examine issues, outcomes, and legal trends involving…

This article looks at various cases of the Supreme Court's most recent term. In contrast to the 2006-2007 term when the Supreme Court was regularly split 5-4, during this last term, the justices have formed surprising coalitions in cases considered highly controversial. For example, it was the so-called liberal bloc's Justice Stevens who wrote the…

Offers a midterm report on United States Supreme Court Cases. The cases dealt with voting rights, affirmative action, jury bias, the handicapped status of AIDS victims, religious holidays for teachers, and political spending of nonprofit corporations. (JDH)

What judges are doing "with increasing boldness," in fact, is telling school people to solve their own cases instead of bringing them to court. (Author)

"State action" is a term used to describe claims arising under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act for which a private party is seeking damages because the state has violated that party's civil rights. Cases are summarized illustrating the doctrine's evolution over the past century. The 1875 Civil…

In some ways America's response to the murderous surprise attacks of September 11, 200l, resembled that of previous wars. The nation was mobilized and its military directed to hit back as soon as possible. Unlike past wars, however, the enemy proved to be a shadowy terrorist organization with a religious identity, a long-term strategy, and no…

Section 1983 opened the federal courts to private citizens by creating a cause of action for invasion of rights protected by federal law. Liability can only be established through proof that injury was occasioned by the implementation of municipal "policy or custom." Examines the evolution of this court doctrine. (MLF)

Although schools cannot actively promote religiously-oriented activity, neither can they prohibit such activity. The 98th Congress passed the Equal Access Act in an attempt to ground students' rights to practice religion in the schools in well-established constitutional principles requiring equal treatment, protecting student-initiated meetings,…

Evaluates the Supreme Court's decisions relating to education during the past few years and the effect that the retirement of Justice Lewis Powell will have on the balance of the Supreme Court. Discusses nominee Robert Bork and his possible effect if he becomes a member of the Supreme Court. (MD)

Using cases concerning access to rights, argues that the state owes an affirmative obligation to provide an adequate level of education and that this obligation is consistent with the federalism concerns expressed in "Rodriguez." Available from School of Law, University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA 95053. (IRT)

Describes Illinois case involving the expulsion of five students for a gang-related brawl at a high school football game in Decatur. Students brought suit against the school district claiming violation of their 14th Amendment right to procedural due process. Both the federal district court and court of appeals rejected the students' claim.…

The 11th Amendment, ratified in 1798, has proved itself a great source of discussion, even confusion, among many courts in this country. Historical background on the development of the 11th Amendment and its interpretations in different cases sets the context for the rest of this paper, the theme of which involves state immunity from federal…