Con Law [the essentials] Flashcards

1
Q

Standing

A

1) Injury-in fact
2) causation
3) redressability

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2
Q

Injury-in-fact

A

must prove that they have been or imminently will be injured

for injunctive/declaratory relief–must show likelihood of future harm

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3
Q

Causation

A

causal connection between injury and conduct complained of

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4
Q

Redressability

A

court decision is likely to remedy the injury

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5
Q

3rd party standing

A

person with standing in own right right can also assert the rights of a 3rd party if:
1) special relationship between plaintiff and injured third party
2) injured party is unlikely to be able to assert their own rights

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6
Q

Organizational standing

A

1) organization suffers injury
2) may bring action on behalf of its members IF:
a. its members would have standing to sue in their own right AND b. the interests at stake are germane to the orgs purpose

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7
Q

Ripeness

A

Claim has not fully developed

factors to use:
1) hardship that will be suffered without pre-enforcement
2) the fitness of the issues for judicial review

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8
Q

Moot

A

if events post-filing end Ps injury

Exceptions:
1) capable of repetition but evading review
2) voluntary cessation
3) Class action

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9
Q

Political Q

A

Issues that are:
1) constitutionally committed to another branch of government OR
2) inherently incapable of judicial resolution

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10
Q

Powers of Congress

A

1) Necessary + Proper Power
2) Taxing and Spending Power
3) Commerce Power

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11
Q

Necessary and Proper Clause

A

Congress may make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all the powers vested to any branch

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12
Q

Taxing + Spending power

A

Taxing: congress has power to tax and spend for general welfare
Taxes should:
1) bear some reasonable relation to revenue production OR
2) Congress has the power to regulate the activity taxed

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13
Q

Commerce Power

A

Power to regulate all foreign foreign and interstate commerce
May regulate:
1) channels of interstate commerce
2) instrumentalities of interstate commerce
3) local activities that have a substantial effect on interstate commerce

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14
Q

Substantial effect on interstate commerce

A

when congress tries to regulate intrastate activity must show that
1) economic or commercial activity AND
2) the court can find RB that activity in aggregate substantially affects interstate commerce

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15
Q

Delegation

A

Generally OK if:
1) intelligible standards are set to guide the delegation AND
2) the power is not uniquely confined to Congress

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16
Q

if Prez’s actions are within powers

A

1) when acting with express or implied authorization of congress = authority at highest
2) when congress has not spoken = less OK
3) when congress has spoken to the contrary = authority at lowest

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17
Q

President powers

A

Foreign Powers:
-commander in chief
-war
-treaties
-executive agreement

domestic:
-pardons
-appoint all officers with the advise and consent of the Senate
-removal power
-veto bills presented

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18
Q

Appointment Power

A

Prez appoints ambassadors, federal judges and officers of the US

Congress can vest appt of inferior officers with heads of departments, the president, or the lower federal courts

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19
Q

Removal Power

A

Unless limited by statute, Prez can fire any executive branch officer

For congress to limit by statute
-must be a position where independence from Prez is desirable
-and can only limit by “good cause”
-also cannot limit the Prez’s ability to fire sole director of agency

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20
Q

Exclusive State Powers

A

10th Amendment

All powers not assigned to the feds = the states or the people

Congress can’t command states to do things but can use taxing and spending power to encourage them to do something

Exception: 14th Amendment enforcement powers allow congress to restrict states from discriminating

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21
Q

Express preemption

A

Federal statute explicitly says that federal law is exclusive in the field

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22
Q

Implied preemption

A

1) congress intended for fed law to occupy the entire field
2) direct conflicts
3) indirectly conflicts–impedes objective of fed law

23
Q

State Action

A

Exceptions:
1) performing activities that are traditionally the exclusive prerogative of the state
2) entanglement–state affirmatively facilitates, encourages or authorizes acts of discrimination by its citizens

24
Q

RB

A

rationally related to a legitimate government purpose

25
Q

Intermediate Scrutiny

A

substantially related to an important government purpose

26
Q

Strict Scrutiny

A

necessary to achieve a compelling government purpose

27
Q

Procedural DP

A

Q of whether there were adequate procedures

Ask:
1) has there been deprivation of life, liberty or property?
2) what procedures are required

Test for type and amount:
1) the importance of interests to the person
2) would additional procedural safeguards help to improve accuracy
3) government interest in fiscal and administrative efficiency

28
Q

Fundamental Rights

A

right to travel
right to vote

right of privacy (which includes a whole shitload of things)

29
Q

Substantive DP

A

Does the government have an adequate reason for taking away a persons life, liberty, or property

DP of 5th amendment applies to feds
DP of 14th applies to state + local

30
Q

EP

A

All equal protection cases pose the same basic question: Is the government classification justified by a sufficient purpose?

What is the classification?
What level of scrutiny should be applied?
Does it meet scrutiny?

31
Q

Suspect classification

A

race, ethnicity, national origin, alienage

use strict scrutiny

government must prove that the regulation is the least restrictive means to achieve a compelling government interest

32
Q

quasi-suspect classification

A

gender, legitimacy

use intermediate scrutiny

government must show that the classification is substantially related to an important government interest

33
Q

all other classifications

A

RB test

challenger must show that the regulation is not rationally related to any legitimate government interest

34
Q

Affirmative Action

A

states can implement regulations to remedy past discrimination if the class has actually suffered persistent and readily identifiable past discrimination

race-based plan cannot be used to remedy general past “societal” discrimination

35
Q

Proving discrimination

A

Intent can be shown:
1) law is discriminatory on its face
2) discriminatory application of a facially neutral law
3) discriminatory effect/motive

36
Q

Takings Clause

A

the government may take private property for public use if provides just compensation

1) is there a taking
2) is it for public use?
3) was just compensation paid?

**public use = rationally related to a legit public purpose
**just compensation = measured by loss to the owner (fair mkt value at time of taking)

37
Q

Regulatory Taking

A

If government regulation denies a land owner ALL economically viable use of their land

If ANY economically viable use left–generally not a taking

38
Q

Possessory Taking

A

actual or physical appropriation of property

39
Q

P + I Clause

A
40
Q

Contracts Clause

A

No state shall impair obligation of contracts

limits ability of states or local governments to enact laws that retroactively impair K rights

does not affect future contracts

41
Q

Ex Post Facto Law

A

government may not pass a law that criminally punishes conduct that was lawful when it as done or make greater punishment after the fact

42
Q

1st Amendment

A

Freedom of Speech + Freedom of Religion

43
Q

Content Based Restriction

A

generally must meet strict scrutiny

to types:
1) subject matter restrictions–means that the government cannot regulate speech based on the topic of the speech
2) viewpoint restrictions–means that the government cannot regulate speech based on the ideology of the message

44
Q

Content Neutral Restriction

A

Intermediate scrutiny

Have to advance important interests unrelated to the suppression of speech

Must not burden substantially more speech than necessary

45
Q

Imminent Lawless action

A

(1) substantial likelihood of imminent illegal activity AND
2) speech is directed at causing imminent illegality

46
Q

Fighting Words

A

personally abusive words that are likely to incite immediate physical retaliation in an average person

47
Q

True threats

A

Ex: cross burning with intent to intimidate

NOT protected by 1st

48
Q

Obscenity

A

Speech is obscene if it describes or depicts sexual conduct that:

1) appeals to the prurient interest in sex (community standard)
2) is patently offensive AND
3) lacks serious artistic, literally, political, or scientific (national standard)

49
Q

Commercial Speech

A

generally given 1st amendment protection

INTERMEDIATE SCRUTINY

NOT protected if
-proposes unlawful activity
-is inherently misleading or fraudulent

restrictions upheld if:
1) serves a substantial government interest
2) directly advances that interest AND
2 is narrowly tailored to serve that interest

50
Q

Freedom of Association

A

protects the right to form or participate in an group, gathering, club etc

gov can infringe if they can satisfy strict scrutiny

51
Q

Time, Place + Manner Restrictions

A

Gov has power to regulate the conduct associated with speech and assembly
See chart

52
Q

Free Exercise Clause

A

Cannot be used to challenge a neutral law of general applicability

Law is discriminatory if:
1) not neutral on its face OR
2) facially neutral but not generally applicable

**if there is discretion to grant exceptions at ALL for a law–then you can challenge denial of exception on religious grounds (strict scrutiny)

53
Q

Establishment Clause

A

New test: government may not directly or indirectly coerce individuals to exercise (or not exercise) their religion

54
Q
A