In Chief Justice Earl Warren’s majority opinion in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the strongest argument centered on the doctrine of "separate but equal." Warren asserted that segregated educational facilities are inherently unequal, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. He emphasized the detrimental psychological effects of segregation on African American children, arguing that it instilled a sense of inferiority that undermined their educational opportunities and personal development. This rationale laid the foundation for the Court's decision to strike down racial segregation in public schools.
the majority opinion. -apex
The strongest type of Supreme Court opinion is a unanimous opinion of the Court, followed by a majority opinion.
majority opinion
The majority opinion
A US Supreme Court justice who disagrees with the majority opinion writes a dissenting opinion, explaining why he or she disagrees with the majority.
A concurring opinion is written by a justice who agrees with the outcome reached by the majority, but who came to that conclusion in a different way and wants to write about why. A dissenting opinion is written by a justice who disagreed with the majority and wants his disagreement known and explained
If the Chief Justice is part of the majority in a Supreme Court decision, they have the authority to assign the task of writing the court's opinion to themselves or to another justice in the majority. This opinion articulates the Court's reasoning and legal rationale behind the decision. If the Chief Justice is not in the majority, the most senior justice in the majority typically assigns the opinion writing. This process is crucial as the written opinion sets a precedent for future cases.
If the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is part of the majority in a decision, they have the privilege of writing the majority opinion or designating another justice to do so. This opinion articulates the Court's reasoning and establishes the legal precedent for future cases. If the Chief Justice is in the minority, the most senior justice in the majority typically writes the opinion.
A Supreme Court justice may choose to write a concurring opinion when he or she agrees with the majority decision, but wants to add perceptions or legal reasoning not addressed, or not addressed to that justice's satisfaction, in the majority opinion (opinion of the Court).
To provide a slightly different legal argument for the same opinion of the majority decision
The majority opinion
add points to the majority opinion