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Goldberg v. Kelly Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: The Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause requires a state to provide an evidentiary hearing before terminating welfare benefits, establishing that such benefits are a statutory entitlement akin to property, not a mere privilege.
Legal Significance: This case established that statutory entitlements, like welfare benefits, are a form of “new property” protected by procedural due process and created a balancing test to determine the specific pre-deprivation procedures required, significantly expanding the scope of the Due Process Clause.
Goldberg v. Kelly 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
New York City residents receiving financial aid under federal (AFDC) and state (Home Relief) programs challenged the constitutionality of the procedures for terminating their benefits. The city’s procedure provided recipients with seven days’ notice and the reasons for the proposed termination. Recipients could submit a written statement to a reviewing official, but they were not permitted to appear in person, present evidence orally, or confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses before their aid was cut off. A formal post-termination “fair hearing” was available, and if the recipient prevailed, they would receive all funds erroneously withheld. The recipients argued that the lack of a pre-termination evidentiary hearing violated their procedural due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment, contending that the termination of benefits, which they depended on for basic subsistence, constituted a “grievous loss” requiring more robust procedural safeguards before the deprivation occurred.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment require that a recipient of public assistance benefits be afforded an evidentiary hearing before those benefits are terminated?
Yes. The Court held that procedural due process requires a pre-termination evidentiary 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 labo
IRAC Legal Analysis
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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
Does the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment require that a recipient of public assistance benefits be afforded an evidentiary hearing before those benefits are terminated?
Conclusion
Goldberg v. Kelly represents the high-water mark of procedural due process, establishing 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 ul
Legal Rule
The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires a state to 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 occ
Legal Analysis
The Court's analysis began by rejecting the traditional right-privilege distinction, holding that 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 vol
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Holding: The Due Process Clause requires a state to provide an