U.S. v. CURTISS-WRIGHT EXPORT CORP. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: The Supreme Court upheld a law giving the President broad power to ban arms sales to warring nations, ruling that the President has far greater inherent authority in foreign affairs than in domestic matters.
Legal Significance: Established the President as the “sole organ” of the nation in foreign affairs, creating a major exception to the non-delegation doctrine and affirming the President’s plenary power in international relations, which is distinct from enumerated domestic powers.
U.S. v. CURTISS-WRIGHT EXPORT CORP. Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
In 1934, Congress passed a Joint Resolution authorizing the President to prohibit the sale of arms to countries engaged in the Chaco conflict between Bolivia and Paraguay. The resolution stipulated that if the President found such a prohibition might contribute to peace, he could issue a proclamation to that effect, making arms sales unlawful. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the proclamation. Subsequently, Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. was indicted for conspiring to sell machine guns to Bolivia in violation of the resolution and proclamation. Curtiss-Wright challenged the indictment, arguing that the Joint Resolution was an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the President because it gave him unfettered discretion without an intelligible principle to guide his actions. The district court agreed with Curtiss-Wright and sustained its demurrer to the indictment. The United States government appealed directly to the Supreme Court.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a congressional resolution granting the President discretionary authority to prohibit arms sales to foreign nations constitute an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power?
No. The Joint Resolution is a constitutional delegation of power. The Court 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, c
IRAC Legal Analysis
About IRAC analysis
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the structure professors expect in exam answers. Each LSD.Law brief states the issue, the governing rule with citations, the court's application of that rule, and the conclusion - the same reasoning pattern you will use on exams and in practice.
Legal Issue
Does a congressional resolution granting the President discretionary authority to prohibit arms sales to foreign nations constitute an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power?
Conclusion
U.S. v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. is a landmark case that fundamentally shaped 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 com
Legal Rule
The powers of the federal government in foreign or external affairs are 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 nu
Legal Analysis
The Court, in an opinion by Justice Sutherland, drew a fundamental distinction 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 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
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- The non-delegation doctrine applies much less strictly to delegations of power