Connection lost
Server error
Edwards v. Aguillard Case Brief
Why Top Law Students (And Those Aspiring to Be) Use LSD+ Briefs
Let's be real, law school is a marathon. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full case system is designed by Harvard Law School and MIT grads to match your pace: Quick summaries when you're slammed, detailed analysis when you need to go deep. Only LSD+ offers this kind of flexibility to genuinely fit your study flow.
Adaptive Case Views
Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.
Exam-Ready IRAC Format
We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.
Complex Cases, Clarified
We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.
Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A Louisiana law required public schools to teach “creation science” if they taught evolution. The Supreme Court invalidated the law, finding its actual purpose was to promote a specific religious belief, thus violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
Legal Significance: This case solidified the Lemon test’s “purpose” prong as a significant barrier to laws promoting religious concepts in public school science curricula, establishing that a law’s stated secular purpose must be sincere and not a sham to survive an Establishment Clause challenge.
Edwards v. Aguillard 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
Louisiana enacted the “Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science in Public School Instruction” Act (Creationism Act), which prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools unless accompanied by instruction in “creation science.” The Act did not mandate the teaching of either subject, but required that if one were taught, the other must be as well. The Act’s stated purpose was to protect academic freedom. However, its provisions also required the development of curriculum guides and the provision of resource services for creation science but not for evolution. It also forbade discrimination against any teacher who chose to teach creationism but offered no similar protection for those teaching evolution. A group of parents, teachers, and religious leaders challenged the Act as facially invalid under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The state defended the law, asserting its secular purpose was to advance academic freedom and provide a more comprehensive science curriculum. The lower courts granted summary judgment for the challengers, finding the Act’s purpose was to promote religion.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a state law that forbids the teaching of evolution in public schools unless accompanied by instruction in “creation science” violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?
Yes. The Louisiana Creationism Act is unconstitutional because its primary purpose is 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 al
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 a state law that forbids the teaching of evolution in public schools unless accompanied by instruction in “creation science” violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?
Conclusion
Edwards v. Aguillard stands as a crucial precedent limiting the state's power 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 aliq
Legal Rule
Under the Establishment Clause, a state statute is unconstitutional if it fails 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
Legal Analysis
The Court's analysis focused exclusively on the first prong of the Lemon 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 laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Holding: Louisiana’s “Creationism Act,” which required public schools to give balanced