On this day in 1976, John Tucker argued Elrod v. Burns before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involved the City of Chicago’s time-honored party patronage system that typically governed how non-civil service positions were staffed. In this case, the new Democratic sheriff had been discharging employees who were “sponsored” by appointees of the previous Republican sheriff. On June 28, 1976, the Court struck down the patronage system, ruling that the First Amendment protects state and local government employees from being fired for partisan political reasons. While dissenters complained that the 5-to-3 vote dismantled a “practice as old as the Republic,” Justice William J. Brennan wrote for the majority that “the process functions as well without the practice, perhaps even better.” The Washington Post noted the significance of the ruling, observing that “the decision struck directly at the political machine of Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago, but it is expected to safeguard the jobs of thousands of public employees across the nation.”

Recent Posts
Firm Represents Chicago, Milwaukee Railroad Shareholders in Bankruptcy
Former Associate John Paul Stevens Sworn in as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
Firm's Pro Bono Client Is Released after Serving 19 Years
Video
Categories
1914-1924
1925-1934
1945-1954
1965-1974
1975-1984
1985-1994
1995-2004
2005-present
A Jenner
A Vail
A Valukas
ACTL
Affirmative Action
Airlines
Alumni
American Academy of Pediatrics
Antitrust
Appellate Practice
Archibald
Asia-Pacific
Asylum
ATT
B Byman
B Ennis
B Graham
B Obama
B Von Hoene
Ballistics
Bankruptcy
Bishop
BitTorrent
C Kamin
C Sklarsky
Candy
Casino
Centennial
Center on Wrongful Convictions
Chicago
Chicago Pacific
Chief Justice Warren
Comstock Act
Conspiracy 7
Contract Buyers League
Corporate
CRST
D Bradford
D DeBruin
D Murray
D Savner
D Verrilli
Death Penalty
Democratic National Convention
Diversity
Dowaliby
E Johnston
EEOC
Equal Time
Examiner
Exelon
Exoneration
F Thompson
First Amendment
Food Lion
Ford Heights Four
G Leighton
General Dynamics
Grokster
Hall of Fame
Harassment
Hoover
HUAC
Illinois Supreme Court
Internet
ISBA
isoHunt
J Gill
J Hall
J P Stevens
J Rivera
J Solovy
J Tucker
Johnston
Julius Hoffman
K Palazzolo
Kennedy
L Harrison
Lehman
LGBT
LGBT Civil Rights
Los Angeles
M Hellman
MCI
MGM
movie studios
New York
Newman
newsletter
NextWave
Nicole Harris
Northwest
Operation Greylord
P Smith
P Tone
P Tucker
Patronage
Pinnacle
Polio
Poppenhusen
Pro Bono
Pro Bono Hot List
R Bridges
R J Daley
R Levy
R Nixon
R Richmond
R Stauffer
Railroad
Reversal
S Insull
S Levy
seat-belt law
Stamler
Stern
Supreme Court
T Mascherin
T Sullivan
Trustee
US Attorney
US Supreme Court
UV Industries
Vaccine
Ventas
Video Games
Warren Commission
Watergate
Wiggins v Smith
Witherspoon
Women
Connect With Us
Follow @jennerblockllp