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Constitutional Law Keyed to Levinson
Bernal v. Fainter
Citation:
467 U.S. 216 (1984)Facts
Bernal (Plaintiff), a native of Mexico but resident of Texas, was working as a paralegal for a legal aid group, helping farmers with employment and civil rights matters. Through the course of his job, he applied to become a notary. Under Texas law, a notary could authenticate written instruments, administer oaths, and take out-of-court depositions. Fainter (Defendant), the Texas secretary of state, denied Plaintiff’s application because he failed to satisfy the statutory requirement of U.S. citizenship. Plaintiff challenged the decision on the grounds that the statute violated the Equal Protection Clause.
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Topic Resources
Topic Outline
Equal ProtectionTopic Refresher Course
Equal Protection Clause of the 14th AmendmentTopic Charts & Notes
Equal Protection