Quimbee logo with url
From our private database of 14,500+ case briefs...

United States v. Lee

United States Supreme Court
106 U.S. 196 (1882)

Facts

The United States government purchased property in Arlington, Virginia from the estate of Robert E. Lee’s wife after an alleged failure to pay a $92 tax assessment. The tax commissioner refused a payment offer on behalf of the estate, based on a rule that only the actual owner could pay overdue taxes. The son of Robert and Mrs. Lee (plaintiff) claimed title to the property under a will and filed an ejectment action in state court against two federal officers in charge of the property (defendants). The defendants removed the case to the United States Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Even though the United States was not a party to the action, the United States Attorney General filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging that the United States possessed the property through sovereign and constitutional powers, and that the court, therefore, lacked subject matter jurisdiction. The district court denied the motion, and a jury granted judgment in favor of the plaintiff. The individual defendants and the United States appealed directly to the United States Supreme Court.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Miller, J.)

Dissent (Gray, 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 270,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 14,500 briefs, keyed to 195 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.

Here's why 270,000 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.
  • 14,500 briefs - keyed to 195 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.