Case Citation
Legal Case Name

ARTHUR YOUNG & CO. v. KEITH Case Brief

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, First Department1978
63 A.D.2d 878 Civil Procedure Administrative Law Constitutional Law Tax Law

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A court quashed subpoenas seeking a third party’s private tax returns in an administrative proceeding, finding the discovery request’s burden and privacy invasion outweighed its potential relevance to the petitioner’s small monetary claim.

Legal Significance: Establishes that a court will quash a subpoena when the burden, expense, and invasion of a non-party’s privacy are not justified by the potential value of the information sought, especially in an administrative context.

ARTHUR YOUNG & CO. v. KEITH Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Respondents, a firm of management consultants, initiated an administrative proceeding before the New York State Tax Commission to recover $268 paid pursuant to the Unincorporated Business Income Tax Law. Respondents alleged the tax was unconstitutional as applied to them, violating the Equal Protection Clause, because other similar businesses were not required to pay it. To substantiate this claim, the Tax Commission issued subpoenas at respondents’ request, compelling Arthur Young & Co. (appellant), a non-party accounting firm, to produce its income and unincorporated business tax returns for the years 1973 through 1976. Respondents intended to use these returns to demonstrate disparate tax treatment for similar services. Arthur Young & Co. moved to quash the subpoenas, arguing they were unduly burdensome and infringed upon its privacy. The lower court denied the motion to quash.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Must a court quash a non-party subpoena duces tecum when the potential value of the requested information is insufficient to justify the burden, expense, and invasion of privacy imposed upon the non-party?

Yes. The motion to quash the subpoena is granted. The court held Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptat

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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.

Legal Issue

Must a court quash a non-party subpoena duces tecum when the potential value of the requested information is insufficient to justify the burden, expense, and invasion of privacy imposed upon the non-party?

Conclusion

This case exemplifies a court's role in policing the boundaries of discovery, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullam

Legal Rule

A court may, in its discretion, quash a subpoena when compliance would Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamc

Legal Analysis

The court performed a balancing test, weighing the respondents' need for the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute

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