Lau v. Nichols [1974 U.S. Supreme Court case]

in-class assignment/class discussion

Goals – understand Lau, practice using IRAC mechanical legal reasoning in cases, debate/discuss the issues and analysis in the Lau case

YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED EITHER THE LAU SIDE or the NICHOLS SIDE in this exercise

Review the Lau case and Ancheta and Ling-Chi Wang’s points about the case. Review your notes from class re legal analysis – IRAC – issue, rule, analysis, conclusion [the basic structure for lawyers’ ‘outlining’ of legal cases and for court opinions]

Be ready to discuss the following in class –

1. FIRST discuss FACTS OF THE CASE – make sure you try to talk about how to present the facts in the ‘best light of your clients’

2. SECOND discuss what the CONCLUSION the U.S. Supreme Court reached in the 1974 Lau v. Nichols case you read for today.

3. THIRD talk about the legal ISSUES raised in the case [ie: should the Equal Protection Clause apply to this case?; is the current education provided to immigrant students [in 1973/4] constitutional?, etc.].

4. FOURTH discuss the legal RULES raised and relied upon by your side. What is your side’s basic argument?

5. Discuss the court’s ANALYSIS in the Lau case [how the U.S. Supreme Court reached its conclusion weaving the facts with the rules in this case]