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WEST COAST HOTEL CO. v. PARRISH Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: The Supreme Court upheld a state minimum wage law for women, abandoning the “liberty of contract” doctrine. This pivotal decision ended the Lochner era, signaling judicial deference to state police powers for economic regulation aimed at protecting public welfare.
Legal Significance: This case effectively ended the Lochner era’s substantive due process jurisprudence, which had invalidated economic regulations. It established that state police power could be used to regulate contracts for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare, explicitly overruling Adkins v. Children’s Hospital.
WEST COAST HOTEL CO. v. PARRISH Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Elsie Parrish, a chambermaid at the West Coast Hotel Co., sued to recover the difference between her wages and the minimum wage of $14.50 per week established by a Washington state administrative commission. The law, titled “Minimum Wages for Women,” was enacted under the state’s police power to protect the health and morals of women and minors by ensuring wages were adequate for their maintenance. The hotel company (appellant) challenged the statute’s constitutionality, arguing it violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by interfering with the freedom of contract between employer and employee. The case directly presented a conflict with the Supreme Court’s precedent in Adkins v. Children’s Hospital (1923), which had invalidated a similar minimum wage law for the District of Columbia on the same grounds. The Washington Supreme Court upheld the statute, prompting this appeal and forcing the U.S. Supreme Court to reexamine the constitutional limits on state economic regulation.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a state law establishing a minimum wage for women violate the liberty of contract protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
No, the judgment of the Supreme Court of Washington is affirmed. 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 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 voluptat
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Does a state law establishing a minimum wage for women violate the liberty of contract protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
Conclusion
West Coast Hotel v. Parrish is a landmark decision that terminated 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 cillum do
Legal Rule
The liberty protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment 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 offici
Legal Analysis
The Court, through Chief Justice Hughes, fundamentally redefined the scope of 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 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
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Upholds a state minimum wage law for women, finding it a