Sablan’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

18 federal appellate · 7 district · 1 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 55 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Broad discretion is vested in the trial court to permit or deny discovery, and its decision to deny discovery will not be disturbed except upon the clearest showing that denial of discovery results in actual and substantial prejudice to the complaining litigant.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Goehring v. Brophy · Goehring v. Brophy

2. “'succeed[ed] on any significant issue in litigation which achieve[d] some of the benefit ... sought in bringing suit.'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Goehring v. Brophy · Goehring v. Brophy

3. “[T]here must be a legal basis for the [petitioner’s] claim — it must not be “frivolous, unreasonable^] or groundless.” See Fitzharris [v. Wolff], 702 F.2d [836,] 838 [(9th Cir.1983)]. Stated otherwise, “the defendant’s conduct in response to the lawsuit must be required by law,” [Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 v.] Bohn, 737 F.2d [860,] 863 [(10th Cir.1984)], to ensure that the government did not act “gratuitously in response to a frivolous or legally insignificant claim.” Crosby v. Bowling, 683 F.2d 1068, 1070 (7th Cir.1982).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Maddalino v. West