LAW 313 - 10/14/25 - Study Notes on Civil Rights and Landmark Cases

Midterm Examination: Scheduled for November 29 (two weeks from tomorrow).
- Location: In person in the classroom.
- Weight: Worth 30% of the course grade.
- Attendance: Critical; valid excuses required for absence.
Written Assignment Due Date: November 10.

Requirement to visit courthouse as part of written assignment.
- Suggestion: Do not wait until the last minute to complete this task.
- Time Commitment: At least one hour is necessary to observe proceedings.
- Alternative Days: Check for courthouse openings on Saturdays.

Chief Justice: Earl Warren.
Reputation: Recognized as the most progressive Supreme Court in U.S. history.
Achievements: Significant enhancements to civil rights and protections for minority groups and the accused.

Appointed By: President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- Historical Note: Eisenhower was a war hero (Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in WWII) who became popular due to his contributions during the war.
Elections Related to War Heroes: Often lead to presidential victories due to public adoration (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant).

Case Context: Challenged segregation in public schools.
- Initial Lawsuit: Filed by Oliver Brown in Topeka, Kansas, concerning his daughter’s access to an integrated education.
- Legal Journey: Progressed through various court levels, ultimately reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Ruling: Declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional; overruled previous case (Plessy v. Ferguson).
- Key Precedent: Ruled that “separate but equal” violated the Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection under the law).
- Case Citation: 347 US 483 (1954).
Psychological Evidence: Accepted evidence from psychologists linking segregation to detrimental educational outcomes affecting African American children.
Social Science Studies: For the first time, psychological studies were used in deciding a Supreme Court case.

Purpose: Address noncompliance with immediate desegregation.
Court Directive: Called for desegregation to occur “with all deliberate speed.”
- Implication of vagueness; allowed states to delay compliance.

Case Overview: School district policy allowed students to transfer back to majority-race schools while avoiding integration.
Supreme Court Ruling: Unconstitutional as it maintained segregation.
- Case Citation: 373 US 683 (1963).

Scenario: Instead of integrating schools, a county closed all schools.
Supreme Court Action: Declared this action unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.
- Case Citation: 377 US 218 (1964).

NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
- Key player in the civil rights movement, often challenging discriminatory laws and practices in court.

Background: Alabama law required the NAACP to disclose its membership list.
- Supreme Court Ruling: Invalidated the order citing infringement of the First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly and association.
- Case Citation: 357 US 449 (1958).

New Law: Alabama's law aimed at preventing NAACP operations in the state.
- Outcome: Supreme Court struck this down, reinforcing First Amendment protections.
- Case Citation: 377 US 288 (1964).

Supreme Court decisions during this era emphasized the importance of equal treatment under the law, particularly in the realm of education.
The gradual realization and enforcement of these decisions highlighted resistance, particularly in states with entrenched discriminatory practices.
Contempt of Court and Enforcement: The challenges in enforcing desegregation orders resulted in further actions by federal courts, including contempt proceedings against states unwilling to comply.

The resistance from states to comply with judicial orders pointed to deep-seated racial biases and systemic injustices that required continued advocacy and legal challenge.