U.S. Supreme Court
Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket
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Featured
U.S. Supreme Court
Aug 2021
Immigrants' Rights
Innovation Law Lab v. Wolf
The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Center for Gender & Refugee Studies filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new policy forcing asylum seekers to return to Mexico and remain there while their cases are considered.
U.S. Supreme Court
Jul 2021
Immigrants' Rights
National Security
Sierra Club v. Trump — Challenge to Trump’s National Emergency Declaration to Construct a Border Wall
In February 2019, the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s emergency powers declaration to secure funds to build a wall along the southern border. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition. The lawsuit argues that the president is usurping Congress’s appropriations power and threatening the clearly defined separation of powers inscribed in the Constitution. On January 20, 2021, President Biden halted further border wall construction. Litigation in this and subsequent related challenges has been paused or deadlines extended while the ACLU’s clients and the Biden administration determine next steps.
U.S. Supreme Court
Jan 2021
Free Speech
Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.
On September 25, 2017, the ACLU-PA filed suit on behalf of B.L., a high school sophomore who has been cheerleading since she was in fifth grade and was expelled from the team as punishment for out-of-school speech.
All Cases
24 Supreme Court Cases during the 2020 Term
U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Free Speech
Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Xavier Becerra, Attorney General of California
Whether California’s blanket demand for tax documents identifying the major donors to nonprofit organizations infringes the First Amendment right to associational privacy, in light of the state’s demonstrated inability to maintain the confidentiality of that information?
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U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Free Speech
Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Xavier Becerra, Attorney General of California
Whether California’s blanket demand for tax documents identifying the major donors to nonprofit organizations infringes the First Amendment right to associational privacy, in light of the state’s demonstrated inability to maintain the confidentiality of that information?
U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
National Security
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service v. Sierra Club
Whether the “deliberative process” privilege protects draft documents that the USF&WS and the National Marine Fisheries Service created as part of a formal consultation process under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
National Security
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service v. Sierra Club
Whether the “deliberative process” privilege protects draft documents that the USF&WS and the National Marine Fisheries Service created as part of a formal consultation process under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Immigrants' Rights
Sanchez v. Mayorkas
Whether the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes all noncitizens who are granted Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) to obtain a green card.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Immigrants' Rights
Sanchez v. Mayorkas
Whether the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes all noncitizens who are granted Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) to obtain a green card.
U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Criminal Law Reform
Edwards v. Vannoy
Whether the Supreme Court’s decision in Ramos v. Louisiana, holding that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a unanimous jury verdict, applies retroactively to cases on federal collateral review.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Criminal Law Reform
Edwards v. Vannoy
Whether the Supreme Court’s decision in Ramos v. Louisiana, holding that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a unanimous jury verdict, applies retroactively to cases on federal collateral review.
U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Criminal Law Reform
Oliva v. Nivar
Whether individuals can challenge the conduct of federal officials engaged in standard law enforcement operations as unconstitutional under Bivens or whether such claims present a new context unless they involve narcotics officers “manacling the plaintiff in front of his family in his home and stripsearching him in violation of the Fourth Amendment,” as the Fifth Circuit held.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
Criminal Law Reform
Oliva v. Nivar
Whether individuals can challenge the conduct of federal officials engaged in standard law enforcement operations as unconstitutional under Bivens or whether such claims present a new context unless they involve narcotics officers “manacling the plaintiff in front of his family in his home and stripsearching him in violation of the Fourth Amendment,” as the Fifth Circuit held.
How Do Terms Work?
Between October and late June or early July the Supreme Court is “in session,” meaning it hears oral arguments, issues written decisions, and decides whether to take additional cases.
Submitting petitions
Our legal team at the ACLU files a cert petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, a type of petition that usually argues that a lower court has incorrectly decided an important question of law that violates civil rights and should be fixed to prevent similar confusion in similar cases.
term starts
U.S. Supreme Court decides to take a case
On average, the Court considers about 7,000 ‐ 8,000 petitions each term and accepts about 80 for oral argument.
Oral arguments
This is the period where the U.S. Supreme Court listens to our case in court.
U.S. Supreme Court makes final decisions
While the U.S. Supreme Court makes decisions throughout the term, many are released right before the term ends. If a decision doesn't go in our favor, we fight back!