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Johnson v. Calvert Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: In a gestational surrogacy dispute, the court held that the ‘natural mother’ is the woman who intended to procreate and raise the child—the genetic mother—not the woman who gave birth.
Legal Significance: This landmark case established the ‘intent-based’ test for determining legal maternity in gestational surrogacy arrangements in California, prioritizing the procreative intent of the genetic parents over the biological contribution of the gestational carrier.
Johnson v. Calvert 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
Mark and Crispina Calvert, a married couple, were unable to have a child because Crispina had undergone a hysterectomy. They entered into a gestational surrogacy contract with Anna Johnson. Pursuant to the agreement, an embryo created from Mark’s sperm and Crispina’s egg was implanted in Anna, who agreed to carry the child to term. In exchange, the Calverts agreed to pay Anna $10,000 and provide a life insurance policy. During the pregnancy, the relationship between the parties deteriorated. Anna threatened to refuse to relinquish the child unless the Calverts paid her the balance owed under the contract. The Calverts filed a lawsuit seeking a declaration that they were the legal parents of the unborn child. Anna filed a separate action to be declared the mother. After the child’s birth, blood tests confirmed that Mark and Crispina were the genetic parents and excluded Anna. The trial court ruled in favor of the Calverts, finding them to be the child’s ‘genetic, biological and natural’ parents and holding the surrogacy contract to be legal and enforceable. The Court of Appeal affirmed, and the California Supreme Court granted review.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: When a child is conceived using the gametes of a married couple but gestated by a surrogate, who is the child’s ‘natural mother’ under California’s Uniform Parentage Act?
Crispina Calvert is the natural mother of the child. The Uniform Parentage 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
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
When a child is conceived using the gametes of a married couple but gestated by a surrogate, who is the child’s ‘natural mother’ under California’s Uniform Parentage Act?
Conclusion
This case established the primacy of procreative intent in determining legal parentage 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 n
Legal Rule
When genetic consanguinity and giving birth do not coincide in one woman, 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 u
Legal Analysis
The court began its analysis with California's Uniform Parentage Act (UPA), which 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 l
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- In a gestational surrogacy arrangement, the “natural mother” is the woman