Ashcroft v. Iqbal

Holding that a claim is plausible where a plaintiff's allegations enable the court to draw a "reasonable inference" the defendant is liable

Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly

Holding that a complaint's allegations should "contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face' "

Pearson v. Callahan

Holding that a court may, without deciding whether there was a constitutional violation, look to the question of whether that right was "clearly established"

Saucier v. Katz

Holding when a defendant seeks qualified immunity, "a ruling on that issue should be made early in the proceedings so that the costs and expenses of trial are avoided where the defense is dispositive."

Graham v. Connor

Holding that the reasonableness of force deployed during an arrest is judged using the "facts and circumstances of each particular case" from the perspective of "a reasonable officer on the scene"

Harlow v. Fitzgerald

Holding that public officials are entitled to a "qualified immunity" from "liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established . . . rights of which a reasonable person would have known"

Randall v. Scott

Holding that courts do not construe a pleading drafted by counsel with the same leniency that they otherwise afford to pro se litigants who lack "the benefit of a legal education"

Busby v. City of Orlando

Holding that "relief granted under Title VII is against the employer, not individual employees whose actions constituted a violation of [Title VII]"

Lassiter v. Alabama a M University

Holding that the law was not clearly established that a plaintiff had a property interest in his particular job at the time he was fired without a hearing

South Florida Water Mgmt. Dist. v. Montalvo

In Montalvo, aerial spraying services ("sprayers") hired to spray landowners' crop and pasture land with pesticides were found jointly and severally liable for the cleanup of their airstrip and storage site and sought contribution from the landowners.

Section 1983 - Civil action for deprivation of rights

Holding liable any state actor who "subjects, or causes [a person] to be subjected" to a constitutional violation

Rule 12 - Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing

Granting the court discretion to exclude matters outside the pleadings presented to the court in defense of a motion to dismiss

Rule 8 - General Rules of Pleading

Holding that "[e]very defense to a claim for relief in any pleading must be asserted in the responsive pleading. . . ."

Section 1981 - Equal rights under the law

Granting equal rights to "make and enforce contracts" without regard to race

Section 101 - Termination of marriage