Simons v. Bellinger’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

29 federal appellate · 27 district · 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 97 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he Committee acts as a surrogate for those who sit on the bench. Indeed, were it not for the Committee, judges themselves might be forced to engage in the sort of inquiries which the plaintiffs have put in issue. In sum, the Committee members, as a bona fide arm of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia, must almost by definition make decisions comparable to those of a judge. The near-judicial nature of their work ... point strongly to the appropriateness of a grant of absolute immunity.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Sparks v. Character & Fitness Committee · Childs v. Reynoldson

2. “No person shall engage in the practice of law in the District of Columbia or in any manner hold [himself] out as authorized or competent to practice law in the District of Columbia unless enrolled as an active member of the District of Columbia Bar, except as otherwise permitted by these Rules.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Agapito v. District of Columbia

3. “What has been said above renders unnecessary a decision on the contention raised by defendants and which might well have some merit, that the Board of Law Examiners acts in a quasi judicial capacity as an integral part of the judicial process and as such enjoys judicial immunity from suit.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Childs v. Reynoldson