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Help for New England grads taking the July Mass. Bar
Please log on to linked documents using your school email account username and password: Recent legal developments raise issues that might reasonably be chosen by bar examiners for an essay problem.
Recent Developments from the United States Supreme Court
Landmark Decisions so far in 2011
- WalMart v. Dukes Class Action not available unless the party seeking class certification can prove that the class has common “questions of law or fact”
A pair of landmark decisions redefined the scope of the First and Second Amendments in the 2009–2010 term of the U.S. Supreme Court
- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission 130 S.Ct. 876 (2010)(First Amendment rights extended to Corporations.) Read more: http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/citizens-united-v-federal-election-commission/
- McDonald v. Chicago, 130 S.Ct. 3020 (2010) (extended Second Amendment's right to “keep and bear arms” to the states and established the right of self-defense.)Read more: http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/mcdonald-v-city-of-chicago/
Other Important 2009-2010 Cases:
- Bilski v. Kappos, 130 S.Ct. 3218 (U.S. 2010), the highly anticipated patent decision, which upheld the patentability of “business method patents.” Read more: http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/bilski-v-kappos/
- Skilling v. United States, 78 U.S.L.W. 4735 (U.S. 2010), considering the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 1346—the “honest services fraud” statute. Read more: http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/skilling-v-united-states/