SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Constitutional Law Keyed to Levinson
Dandridge v. Williams
Citation:
397 U.S. 471 (1970)Facts
Dandridge (Petitioner) challenged the method used by Maryland, represented by Williams (Respondent), in the administration of an aspect of its public welfare program, to reconcile the demands of its needy citizens with the finite resources available to meet those demands. Maryland participates in the Federal Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, just like every other state. Maryland computed the standard of need for each eligible family under the federal Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program based on the number of children in the family and the circumstances under which the family lived. But the state imposed an upper limit on the total amount of money any one family unit was eligible to receive. In general, the standard of need increased with each additional person in the household, but the increments became proportionately smaller. The suit was filed by recipients who had large families to enjoin Maryland’s rule on the ground that it was in conflict with the Equal Protection Clause.
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.