Terrien v. Zwit’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 federal appellate · 28 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 45 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “As a general rule, making social policy is a job for the Legislature, not the courts. This is especially true when the determination or resolution requires placing a premium on one societal interest at the expense of another: The responsibility for drawing lines in a society as complex as ours-of identifying priorities, weighing the relevant considerations and choosing between competing alternatives-is the Legislature's, not the judiciary's. [ Id . (quotation marks and citations omitted).]”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Smith · Papazian v. Goldberg (In Re Mardigian Estate)

2. “In identifying the boundaries of public policy ... the focus of the judiciary must ultimately be upon the policies that, in fact, have been adopted by the public through our various legal processes, and are reflected in our state and federal constitutions, our statutes, and the common law.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Smith · Sanchez v. Eagle Alloy, Inc.

3. “[A]bsent some specific basis for finding them unlawful, courts cannot disregard private contracts and covenants in order to advance a particular social good.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 326 Mich. App. 684 - Law Offices of Jeffrey Sherbow, PC v. Fieger & Fieger, PC · People v. Smith