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Famous passages

The most-quoted passages in American case law, derived from 972,045 resolved pinpoint citations across 191,123 passages cited at least three times (the harvester saw 1,399,491 distinct quotations in all). Click any row to see every case that used the passage, search the full quotation corpus →, or see what's surging in recent citations →

#1  ·  2,488 pin-citations  ·  2,328 cases
"Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice."
from Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 2009  ·  Supreme Court
#2  ·  1,138 pin-citations  ·  1,038 cases
"A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged."
from Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 2009  ·  Supreme Court
#3  ·  847 pin-citations  ·  846 cases
“The informal brief is an important document; under Fourth Circuit rules, our review is limited to issues preserved in that brief.”
from Burrage v. United States, 2014  ·  Supreme Court
#4  ·  633 pin-citations  ·  334 cases
"[T]he United States Constitution regulates only the Government, not private parties."
#5  ·  551 pin-citations  ·  551 cases
“Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, the district court screened the complaint and dismissed it without prejudice before service was made upon any of the defendants . . . [such that] . . . only [the plaintiff] [wa]s a party to this appeal.”
from United States v. Fleenor, 2007  ·  Sixth Circuit
#6  ·  503 pin-citations  ·  503 cases
"As long as the [plaintiff proceeding IFP] provides the information necessary to identify the defendant, the Marshals' failure to effect service automatically constitutes 'good cause' for an extension of time within the meaning of Rule 4(m)."
from Murray v. Pataki, 2010  ·  Second Circuit
#7  ·  499 pin-citations  ·  499 cases
“District courts have broad discretion in making determinations of convenience under Section 1404(a) and notions of convenience and fairness are considered on a case-by-case basis.”
from Blair & Co., Inc. v. Gottdiener, 2006  ·  Second Circuit
#8  ·  495 pin-citations  ·  470 cases
"Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level."
from Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 2007  ·  Supreme Court
#9  ·  464 pin-citations  ·  454 cases
“It does not appear that Congress intended to require district court review of a magistrate's factual or legal conclusions, under a de novo or any other standard, when neither party objects to those findings.”
from Thomas v. Arn, 1986  ·  Supreme Court
#10  ·  427 pin-citations  ·  277 cases
"As a general rule courts and agencies are not required to make findings on issues the decision of which is unnecessary to the results they reach."
from Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Bagamasbad, 1976  ·  Supreme Court
#11  ·  413 pin-citations  ·  199 cases
" 'Where Congress includes particular language in one section of a statute but omits it in another section of the same Act, it is generally presumed that Congress acts intentionally and purposely in the disparate inclusion or exclusion.' "
from Russello v. United States, 1983  ·  Supreme Court
#12  ·  408 pin-citations  ·  310 cases
"[T]he tenet that a court must accept as true all of the allegations contained in a complaint is inapplicable to legal conclusions."
from Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 2009  ·  Supreme Court
#13  ·  406 pin-citations  ·  405 cases
“ [A] plaintiff is generally prohibited from suing a municipal agency.”
from Jenkins v. City Of New York, 2007  ·  Second Circuit
#14  ·  388 pin-citations  ·  194 cases
" Other than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt."
from Apprendi v. New Jersey, 2000  ·  Supreme Court
#15  ·  377 pin-citations  ·  221 cases
“[I]t is not the province of a federal habeas court to reexamine state-court determinations on state-law questions.”
from Estelle v. McGuire, 1991  ·  Supreme Court
#16  ·  374 pin-citations  ·  374 cases
"In Texas, an Anders brief need not specifically advance 'arguable' points of error if counsel finds none, but it must provide record references to the facts and procedural history and set out pertinent legal authorities."
from In Re Schulman, 2008  ·  Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
#17  ·  373 pin-citations  ·  370 cases
"Government officials may not be held liable for the unconstitutional conduct of their subordinates under a theory of respondeat superior."
from Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 2009  ·  Supreme Court
#18  ·  369 pin-citations  ·  369 cases
“The record does not contain a consent from the defendants[; h]owever, because they had not been served, they were not parties to this action at th[e] time the magistrate entered judgment.”
#19  ·  365 pin-citations  ·  359 cases
"It is a fundamental doctrine of appellate review that issues must ordinarily be both raised and decided by the district court before we will decide them on appeal."
from Meier v. SENECAUT III, 2002  ·  Supreme Court of Iowa
#20  ·  364 pin-citations  ·  182 cases
“West Virginia law allows the circuit court discretion in deciding whether to grant a parent an improvement period.”
from In Re M.M., B.M., C.Z., and C.S, 2015  ·  West Virginia Supreme Court
#21  ·  360 pin-citations  ·  360 cases
“[T]he court has plenary review of all legal issues . . . .”
#22  ·  356 pin-citations  ·  345 cases
"Decision"
from In Re Adelphia Communications Corp., 2005  ·  S.D. New York
#23  ·  348 pin-citations  ·  130 cases
"It is the general rule, of course, that a federal appellate court does not consider an issue not passed upon below."
from Singleton v. Wulff, 1976  ·  Supreme Court
#24  ·  345 pin-citations  ·  115 cases
"An appellate court need not address every issue raised by the parties when one issue is dispositive."
from Barrows v. American Family Insurance, 2013  ·  Court of Appeals of Wisconsin
#25  ·  341 pin-citations  ·  111 cases
"Press-Enterprise II"
from Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of Cal., County of Riverside, 1986  ·  Supreme Court
#26  ·  341 pin-citations  ·  186 cases
" Where there are two permissible views of the evidence, the factfinder's choice between them cannot be clearly erroneous."
from Anderson v. City of Bessemer City, 1985  ·  Supreme Court
#27  ·  330 pin-citations  ·  151 cases
"It is axiomatic that an issue cannot be raised for the first time on appeal, but must have been raised to and ruled upon by the trial judge to be preserved for appellate review."
from Wilder Corp. v. Wilke, 1998  ·  Supreme Court of South Carolina
#28  ·  330 pin-citations  ·  330 cases
“The record does not contain a consent from the defendants; [h]owever, because they had not been served, they were not parties to the action at the time the magistrate entered judgment.”
#29  ·  329 pin-citations  ·  329 cases
"Due to the nature of Anders briefs, by indicating in the opinion that it considered the issues raised in the briefs and reviewed the record for reversible error but found none, the court of appeals met the requirement of Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 47.1."
from Bledsoe v. State, 2005  ·  Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
#30  ·  327 pin-citations  ·  99 cases
"Press-Enterprise I"
from Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of Cal., Riverside Cty., 1984  ·  Supreme Court
#31  ·  316 pin-citations  ·  287 cases
"[I]t has been held that an ALJ's errors of law denote a lack of substantial evidence."
from Evon HUDSON, Appellant, v. COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, 2004  ·  Third Circuit
#32  ·  312 pin-citations  ·  301 cases
"[I]ssues adverted to in a perfunctory manner, unaccompanied by some effort at developed argumentation, are deemed waived."
from United States v. Ilario M.A. Zannino, 1990  ·  First Circuit
#33  ·  310 pin-citations  ·  310 cases
“[A] general objection to a magistrate judge's report, which fails to specify the issues of contention, does not suffice to preserve an issue for appeal . . . . ”
from Robert v. Tesson, 2007  ·  Sixth Circuit
#34  ·  309 pin-citations  ·  309 cases
“Where the ALJ's findings of fact are supported by substantial evidence, we are bound by those findings, even if we would have decided the factual inquiry differently.”
#35  ·  304 pin-citations  ·  252 cases
"'When opposing parties tell two different stories, one of which is blatantly contradicted by the record, so that no reasonable jury could believe it, a court should not adopt that version of the facts for purposes of ruling on a motion for summary judgment.'"
from Scott v. Harris, 2007  ·  Supreme Court
#36  ·  301 pin-citations  ·  297 cases
“ Each Government official, his or her title notwithstanding, is only liable for his or her own misconduct.”
from Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 2009  ·  Supreme Court
#37  ·  298 pin-citations  ·  298 cases
"Due to the nature of Anders Briefs, by indicating in the opinion that it considered the issues raised in the briefs and reviewed the record for reversible error but found none, the court of appeals met the requirements of Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 47.1."
from Bledsoe v. State, 2005  ·  Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
#38  ·  297 pin-citations  ·  157 cases
"It is axiomatic that the United States may not be sued without its consent and that the existence of consent is a prerequisite for jurisdiction."
from United States v. Mitchell, 1983  ·  Supreme Court
#39  ·  295 pin-citations  ·  295 cases
“It does not appear that Congress intended to require district court review of a [Magistrate Judge’s] factual or legal conclusions, under a de novo or any other standard, when neither party objects to those findings.”
from Thomas v. Arn, 1986  ·  Supreme Court
#40  ·  295 pin-citations  ·  141 cases
" 'Where a panel of the Court of Appeals has decided the same issue, albeit in a different case, a subsequent panel of the same court is bound by that precedent, unless it has been overturned by a higher court.' "
from In Re the Appeal From the Civil Penalty, 1989  ·  Supreme Court of North Carolina
#41  ·  293 pin-citations  ·  177 cases
"Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment."
from Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 1986  ·  Supreme Court
#42  ·  288 pin-citations  ·  236 cases
“If relevant evidence is not mentioned, the Court cannot determine if it was discounted or merely overlooked.”
#43  ·  286 pin-citations  ·  115 cases
"As a court of limited jurisdiction, we begin, and end, with an examination of our jurisdiction."
from Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, 1994  ·  Supreme Court
#44  ·  277 pin-citations  ·  269 cases
“An action is ‘frivolous’ when either: (1) the factual contentions are clearly baseless . . . ; or (2) the claim is based on an indisputably meritless legal theory.”
from Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 2007  ·  Supreme Court
#45  ·  273 pin-citations  ·  137 cases
“A reviewing court cannot assess witness credibility through a record. The trier of fact is uniquely situated to make such determinations and this Court is not in a position to, and will not, second guess such determinations.”
from Michael D.C. v. Wanda L.C., 1997  ·  West Virginia Supreme Court
#46  ·  273 pin-citations  ·  273 cases
“Judicial Review of an administrative decision is impossible without an adequate explanation of that decision by the [ALJ].”
#47  ·  269 pin-citations  ·  269 cases
“The MDL judge must be given ‘greater discretion’ to create and enforce deadlines in order to administrate the litigation effectively. This necessarily includes the power to dismiss cases where litigants do not follow the court’s orders.”
from Travis Gibson v. Rick Cook, 2014  ·  Eighth Circuit
#48  ·  268 pin-citations  ·  163 cases
"Absent a waiver, sovereign immunity shields the Federal Government and its agencies from suit."
from Federal Deposit Insurance v. Meyer, 1994  ·  Supreme Court
#49  ·  268 pin-citations  ·  71 cases
“The ALJ’s decision must stand or fall with the reasons set forth in the ALJ's decision, as adopted by the Appeals Council.”
from Federal Power Commission v. Texaco Inc., 1974  ·  Supreme Court
#50  ·  266 pin-citations  ·  107 cases
"A district court by definition abuses its discretion when it makes an error of law."
from Koon v. United States, 1996  ·  Supreme Court
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