Plain-English, source-linked legal guides
General US legal information with practical research checklists and links to primary sources. Not personal legal advice.
Daubert: Who Decides Whether Expert Science Belongs in Court?
Daubert v. Merrell Dow made judges gatekeepers for expert testimony and reshaped injury, product-liability, and science-heavy litigation.
Jerman v. Carlisle: When a Debt Collector Makes a Legal Mistake
Jerman v. Carlisle asks whether a debt collector can avoid FDCPA liability by saying the violation came from a mistaken reading of law.
Heintz v. Jenkins: Are Debt-Collection Lawyers Covered by the FDCPA?
Heintz v. Jenkins explains why lawyers who regularly collect debts can be treated as debt collectors under federal law.
FTC v. Sperry & Hutchinson: What Makes a Business Practice Unfair?
FTC v. Sperry & Hutchinson is a key consumer-protection case on the Federal Trade Commission's authority over unfair practices.
Boggs v. Boggs: Pension Benefits, Second Families, and Federal Preemption
Boggs v. Boggs explains how ERISA can override state community-property and inheritance claims to pension benefits.
Astrue v. Capato: Posthumous Conception and Social Security Survivor Benefits
Astrue v. Capato shows how reproductive technology can expose hard questions about family status, inheritance law, and federal benefits.
Gentile v. State Bar: Lawyer Speech, Public Pressure, and Fair Trials
Gentile v. State Bar asks how far states may restrict lawyer statements outside court to protect fair trials.
Nix v. Whiteside: What Should a Defense Lawyer Do When a Client Plans to Lie?
Nix v. Whiteside explores the hard line between zealous defense, client autonomy, and a lawyer's duty not to present perjury.
Hughes v. Oklahoma: Can a State Keep Natural Resources for Its Own Residents?
Hughes v. Oklahoma asks when state conservation laws become unconstitutional discrimination against interstate commerce.
National Meat Association v. Harris: When Federal Meat Rules Block State Law
National Meat Association v. Harris explains how federal preemption can limit state animal-welfare and slaughterhouse rules.
TVA v. Hill: The Tiny Fish Case That Stopped a Federal Dam
TVA v. Hill shows how a small endangered species became the center of a major fight over statutory text, public spending, and environmental protection.
NCAA Board of Regents: College Sports, TV Money, and Antitrust Law
NCAA v. Board of Regents explains why college sports rules can be both cooperation and restraint of trade.