Laws v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

14 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 17 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “No officer .or employe of the Oocmmonwealth shall discriminate against any /person in recruitment, examination, appointment, training, promotion, retention or any other personnel action with respect to the classified service because of political or religious opinions or affiliations because of labor union affiliations or because of race, national origin or other non-merit factors.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Quarles v. Commonwealth · Litner v. Commonwealth, Office of Budget & Administration

2. ““This means that any ‘personnel action’ carried out by the Commonwealth is to be scrutinized in the light of such merit criteria, as has the party failed to properly execute his duties, or has he done an act which hampers or frustrates the execution of same. The criteria must be job- related and in some rational and logical manner touch upon competency and ability. ’ ’”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Hoffman v. Commonwealth · 63 Pa. Commw. 388 - Delaware County Board of Assistance v. Balanow

3. “(a) For any employer because of the . . . religious creed ... of any individual ... to dis charge from employment such individual, or to otherwise discriminate against such individual with respect to . . . terms, conditions or privileges of employment, if the individual is the best able and most competent to perform the •services required. . . , 1”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Pennsylvania State University v. Commonwealth · 776 F. Supp. 200 - Magel v. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia