Quimbee logo
DMCA.com Protection Status
From our private database of 16,400+ case briefs...

Harlow v. Fitzgerald

United States Supreme Court
457 U.S. 800 (1982)

Harlow v. Fitzgerald

Facts

A. Ernest Fitzgerald (plaintiff) was a management analyst in the Department of the Air Force. During the Johnson administration, Fitzgerald testified to a congressional committee regarding technical problems and cost overruns on the C-5A cargo plane. Fitzgerald’s testimony was embarrassing to the Defense Department, and a memo outlined a way to discharge Fitzgerald using a reduction in force despite Fitzgerald’s civil service protection. Approximately one year later, the Nixon administration carried out the reduction in force and eliminated Fitzgerald’s position. Fitzgerald sued Nixon, and two senior White House aides, Bryce Harlow and Alexander Butterfield (defendants). Discovery progressed for eight years. Nixon, Fitzgerald, and Harlow moved for summary judgment based on immunity. The trial court denied the motion for summary judgment, and Nixon, Fitzgerald, and Harlow appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Powell, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 97,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools—such as Yale, Vanderbilt, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois—even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students. Read our student testimonials.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students. Read more about Quimbee.

Here's why 372,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 16,400 briefs, keyed to 223 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Questions & Answers

Have a question about this case?

Sign up for a free 7-day trial and ask it

Sign up for a FREE 7-day trial

Here's why 372,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners not other law students.
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet.
  • 16,400 briefs - keyed to 223 casebooks.
  • Uniform format for every case brief.
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language.
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions.
  • Top-notch customer support.