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Missouri v. Holland Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Missouri challenged a federal law protecting migratory birds, arguing it violated states’ rights under the Tenth Amendment. The Supreme Court upheld the law, finding it a valid exercise of Congress’s power to implement a treaty, even if Congress could not have passed the law without the treaty.
Legal Significance: This case established that the federal treaty power, combined with the Necessary and Proper Clause, can authorize congressional action on matters that might otherwise be reserved to the states, thereby expanding the scope of federal legislative authority in areas of national and international concern.
Missouri v. Holland Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
In 1916, the United States and Great Britain entered into a treaty to protect various species of migratory birds that traversed the U.S. and Canada, recognizing their value and the danger of their extinction. To implement this treaty, Congress passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which prohibited the killing, capturing, or selling of these birds except as permitted by federal regulations. An earlier attempt by Congress to regulate migratory birds without a treaty had been deemed unconstitutional by lower courts as an overreach of federal power. The State of Missouri filed a suit to enjoin a U.S. Game Warden, Ray P. Holland, from enforcing the 1918 Act. Missouri argued that the statute was an unconstitutional interference with the rights reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment. The state asserted a quasi-sovereign authority and property interest in the birds within its borders, contending that the regulation of wild game was a power exclusive to the states. The District Court dismissed Missouri’s suit, holding the Act constitutional, and the state appealed to the Supreme Court.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a federal statute enacted to implement a valid treaty violate the Tenth Amendment if the statute regulates a subject matter that Congress might otherwise lack the authority to regulate?
No. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is a constitutional exercise of federal 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 des
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Does a federal statute enacted to implement a valid treaty violate the Tenth Amendment if the statute regulates a subject matter that Congress might otherwise lack the authority to regulate?
Conclusion
Missouri v. Holland affirmed that the treaty power provides an independent constitutional 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 Rule
A treaty made under the authority of the United States is the 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 c
Legal Analysis
Writing for the majority, Justice Holmes reasoned that the Tenth Amendment does 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 adi
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- The treaty power allows Congress to legislate on matters that might