Torts Keyed to Henderson
Jones v. Clinton
Facts
On May 8, 1991, then-Governor William Clinton (Defendant) allegedly inappropriately touched and made offensive comments to Paula Jones (Plaintiff) while in a hotel room in Little Rock, Arkansas. Plaintiff alleged that she was told by a state trooper that Defendant wanted to see her in his hotel room and she agreed. After arriving, Plaintiff said Defendant engaged in a few minutes of small talk and then “unexpectedly reached over to [her], took her hand, and pulled her toward him, so that their bodies were close to each other.” Plaintiff said that she removed her hand from his and retreated several feet, but that Defendant approached her again and said, “I love the way your hair flows down your back” and “I love your curves.” Defendant then put his hand on Plaintiff’ leg and bent down in an attempt to kiss her on the neck, without her consent. Plaintiff responded by questioning Defendant’s conduct and stating that she was “not that kind of girl,” and shortly thereafter was sitting at the end of a sofa when Defendant sat down and exposed himself to her. Plaintiff said she was “horrified” by the act and left the room. As she was leaving, Defendant allegedly told Plaintiff that “You are smart. Let's keep this between ourselves.” Plaintiff sued Defendant for sexual harassment under federal law, an equal protection violation under federal law, and for state law intentional infliction of emotional distress. The U.S. Supreme Court found no barrier to the legal action under presidential immunity. Defendant filed motions for summary judgment on each of the causes of action.
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.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.