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City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal, Inc. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A city ordinance imposing a nighttime curfew on jet takeoffs to control noise was struck down. The Supreme Court held that the comprehensive federal regulation of aviation and aircraft noise preempted local control, violating the Supremacy Clause.
Legal Significance: This case established the principle of federal field preemption in aviation noise regulation. It demonstrates that a federal regulatory scheme can be so pervasive as to implicitly foreclose any state or local regulation in that area, even concerning traditional police powers like noise control.
City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal, Inc. Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
The City of Burbank, California, enacted an ordinance making it unlawful for pure jet aircraft to take off from the privately owned Hollywood-Burbank Airport between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The ordinance was a police power measure intended to curb aircraft noise for local residents. Lockheed Air Terminal, the airport’s operator, and Pacific Southwest Airlines, which had one regularly scheduled flight affected by the curfew, challenged the ordinance. They argued that federal law, specifically the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and the Noise Control Act of 1972, had preempted the field of aircraft noise regulation. The lower courts found the ordinance unconstitutional on Supremacy Clause grounds, holding that it was preempted by the comprehensive federal scheme governing aviation. The City of Burbank appealed to the Supreme Court, asserting its right to regulate local health and welfare through its police powers.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the comprehensive federal regulatory scheme for aviation, established by the Federal Aviation Act and the Noise Control Act, preempt a municipal ordinance that imposes a nighttime curfew on jet aircraft takeoffs under the Supremacy Clause?
Yes. The Court affirmed the lower court’s decision, holding that the municipal 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 r
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
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
Does the comprehensive federal regulatory scheme for aviation, established by the Federal Aviation Act and the Noise Control Act, preempt a municipal ordinance that imposes a nighttime curfew on jet aircraft takeoffs under the Supremacy Clause?
Conclusion
This decision solidifies the doctrine of field preemption in areas of dominant 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
Legal Rule
Under the Supremacy Clause, a state or local law is preempted if 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
Legal Analysis
Justice Douglas, writing for the majority, concluded that the federal government has 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 magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco l
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Holding: Federal law preempts state and local police power regulations over