Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Kindred Nursing Ctrs. Ltd. P'ship v. Clark Case Brief

Supreme Court of the United States2017Docket #65273289
137 S. Ct. 1421 197 L. Ed. 2d 806 26 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 570 85 U.S.L.W. 4235 2017 WL 2039160 2017 U.S. LEXIS 2948 Contracts Civil Procedure Constitutional Law Agency

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: The Supreme Court held that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempts a state-law rule requiring a power of attorney to explicitly authorize an agent to enter into an arbitration agreement, because such a rule improperly singles out arbitration contracts for disfavored treatment.

Legal Significance: This case reinforces the FAA’s “equal-footing” principle, clarifying that states cannot create special contract formation rules that discriminate against arbitration agreements, even if those rules are ostensibly based on protecting fundamental rights like the right to a jury trial.

Kindred Nursing Ctrs. Ltd. P'ship v. Clark Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Representatives for two individuals, holding broad powers of attorney (POAs), signed admission paperwork for a nursing home operated by Kindred Nursing Centers. The POAs granted general authority to make contracts; one authorized “contracts of every nature,” and the other granted “full power…to transact…all matters.” The paperwork included separate agreements to resolve all disputes through binding arbitration. After the residents died, their estates sued Kindred for wrongful death. Kindred moved to compel arbitration based on the agreements signed by the representatives. The Kentucky Supreme Court refused to enforce the agreements, creating a “clear-statement rule” that required a POA to explicitly grant the agent authority to waive the principal’s right to a jury trial. The court found that even the broadest POA was insufficient without this specific language, thus invalidating the arbitration contracts.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does the Federal Arbitration Act preempt a state-law rule that invalidates an arbitration agreement signed by an agent unless the principal’s power of attorney specifically authorizes the waiver of the right to a jury trial?

Yes. The FAA preempts the Kentucky clear-statement rule because the rule 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 reprehenderi

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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 Federal Arbitration Act preempt a state-law rule that invalidates an arbitration agreement signed by an agent unless the principal’s power of attorney specifically authorizes the waiver of the right to a jury trial?

Conclusion

This case solidifies the FAA's broad preemptive power over state contract law, 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 repre

Legal Rule

Under the Federal Arbitration Act, a state-law rule concerning contract formation 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 aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in

Legal Analysis

The Court, in an opinion by Justice Kagan, reasoned that the FAA's 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 voluptate velit esse cillu

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Flash Summary

  • A state rule requiring a power of attorney to contain a
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 o

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