Also known as: special master · service mark
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
An abbreviation for servicemark, a mark used by a person to identify and distinguish the services of one person from the services of others and to indicate the source of the services.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Selena Singh contributed to a judicial candidate's campaign. The judge later awarded her firm a government contract for legal services. The contribution raised questions about whether selection rested on merit rather than political support.
Spencer Silver sued a state institution for breach of contract in federal court. The state asserted immunity from suit. The court dismissed the claim because Congress had not clearly abrogated the state's immunity.
Stella Shapiro sought divorce after discovering her spouse's incapacity. Medical evidence confirmed the condition existed at marriage and continued. The court granted the divorce under the statute authorizing dissolution for incurable impotence.
Sophia Singh filed a contract claim in bankruptcy court against a pipeline company. The defendant objected that the court lacked Article III authority. The Supreme Court held the broad grant of jurisdiction to non-Article III judges unconstitutional.
Sean Steele's roofing company received an OSHA citation for safety violations. The company contested the penalty before the Review Commission. The Supreme Court upheld the administrative adjudication as consistent with the Seventh Amendment.
Santiago Sanchez and other employees sought to certify a nationwide class against their employer. The plaintiffs alleged a common discriminatory policy. The Supreme Court reversed certification because the claims lacked sufficient commonality across the proposed class.
SM stands for servicemark. It identifies and distinguishes the services of one provider from those of others.
…detailed decrees in these cases;" "(b) if so, what specific issues should the decrees reach;" "(c) should this Court appoint a special master to hear evidence with a view to recommending specific terms for such decrees;" "(d) should this Court remand to the courts of first instance with directions to frame decrees in these cases…