Confirm favorite deletion?
Conflicts Keyed to Currie
Testa v. Katt
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
- Topic: Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.
- Parties: Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.
- Procedural Posture & History: Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.
- Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.: A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.
- Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises: Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
- Brief Facts: A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.
- Rule of Law: Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.
- Facts: What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case. Review the Facts of this case here:
Under the Emergency Price Control Act, anyone who sold goods above the price ceiling on those goods was liable to the buyer for treble the overcharge plus attorney’s fees. The federal act created a right of action not only in federal court, but also in state court. In 1944 Testa (Plaintiff) purchased an automobile from Katt (Defendant), a dealer, for $1,100, which was $210 above the ceiling price. Plaintiff sued under the act in Providence, Rhode Island, in the State District Court. He was awarded the full amount of damages possible under the act. On appeal to the State Superior Court, damages were reduced to the amount of overcharge plus fees. The State Supreme Court reversed on grounds that the federal statute was penal, and that it did not need to enforce penal laws of a government foreign in the international sense. It held that because the United States was foreign in the “private international” sense, it did not need to enforce the federal act. Testa (Plaintiff) appealed.
- Issue(s): Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.
- Holding: Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.
- Concurring / Dissenting Opinions: Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.
- Reasoning and Analysis: Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
- Policy: Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.
- Court Direction: Shares where the Court went from here for this case.