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Civil Procedure Keyed to Cross
Hansberry v. Lee
Citation:
311 U.S. 32, 61 S.Ct. 115, 85 L.Ed. 22 (1940)
ProfessorBrittany L. Raposa
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- 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:
A group of landowners created a restrictive covenant that prohibited their land from being sold or used by a black person, enforceable only if ninety-five percent of owners in the area signed the agreement. Only fifty-four percent of landowners signed it, but an earlier lawsuit between the landowners, Burke v. Kleiman, found the agreement legally binding under the belief that ninety-five percent of the owners signed it. Following this decision, the Hansberrys (Defendants), a black family, sought to buy a home in the area and were sued by Lee (Plaintiff) for breach of the restrictive covenant. Defendants’ argued that the agreement was not binding because not enough landowners had signed, Plaintiffs argued that this issue was barred by res judicata under Burke.
- 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.
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