Cohen v. Stein’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

10 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 11 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Under the decisions of this court there can be no doubt as to the correctness of the proposition that where a person renders services under a contract which is void, he can recover upon a quantum meruit the value of such services. (Citing cases). The rule rests on the strongest equity, compelling a party who has received a benefit from a part execution of a contract, which binds neither party, to make compensation for the benefit which he has received. As a matter of course the defendants were at liberty to discharge the plaintiffs from their employment at any time, as the plaintiffs were at liberty to leave. The logic of the rule is, inasmuch as the contract has no legal validity, it is not admissible in evidence to determine the value of the services, but the servant recovers what he can show his services were reasonably worth. ’ ’”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. O'Donnell v. James E. Sipprell, Inc.

2. ““If the jury find that the plaintiffs were paid $50 at the end of each week for their services during the week, and that such payments were at the time considered in full by both parties for the services rendered during such week, and that this was done down to the week ending May 26, 1883, then the plaintiffs can recover only for the services rendered after that date,””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. O'Donnell v. James E. Sipprell, Inc.