In the upcoming term, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Wilkinson v. Garland, a case examining the scope of judicial review for immigration appeals. The Court's ruling will have significant implications for non-citizens seeking relief from removal orders. This case arose when Situ Kamu Wil ...
Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, P.L.L.C.: Are Emotional Distress Damages Recoverable Under Anti-Discrimination Statutes?
Facts of the Case Jane Cummings, the petitioner, is deaf and legally blind, and she communicates primarily through American Sign Language (ASL). In 2016, Cummings sought physical therapy services for chronic back pain from Premier Rehab Keller, a company that operates federally funded rehabilitat ...
Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi (2023): Patent Law Parameters
Background/Facts of the Case Amgen Inc. v Sanofi examines the Patent Act, clarifying how the enablement clause applies to broad scientific patents. In this ruling, the Supreme Court asked whether Amgen Inc.’s antibody patents provided sufficient detail so that a “skilled artisan” could “make and ...
Reexamining Reproductive Rights: Griswold and Eisenstadt in the Wake of Dobbs
Historical Precedent While reviewing the constitutionality of Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court rekindled the age-old debate over personal freedom and the state’s authority to regulate it. The Court relied on “history and tradition” ...
Opioids, Bankruptcy, and Big Pharma Ethics: Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P.
In December of this year, oral arguments will begin on an appeal of a prominent corporate bankruptcy case, that of Purdue Pharma, whose owners, the Sackler family, are attempting to escape civil liability for their role in contributing to the opioid epidemic. Purdue Pharma is one of the largest ...
U.S. vs. Rahimi: Defining the Scope of the Second Amendment
Facts of the Case Zackey Rahimi, the respondent from Arlington, Texas, originally challenged a statute criminalizing the ownership of a firearm by anyone with a domestic violence restraining order. In 2019, Rahimi had an argument with his then-girlfriend in which he pushed her over, dragged her t ...
Moore v. Harper: The Independent State Legislature Theory Gets Its Day In Court
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled against the controversial independent state legislature theory put forth by plaintiffs in Moore v. Harper. Chief Justice John Roberts was joined by Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson, Kavanaugh, and Barrett in the majority with Justices Thomas, Alito, and G ...
Dubin v. United States (2023): Limits On Identity Theft Charges
Background/Facts of the Case Dubin v United States illustrates the ongoing debate about the scope of identity theft charges. As a primary focus of this case, the Supreme Court questioned whether aggravated identity theft occurs whenever a person refers to another individual’s name during a predicat ...
Can Officials Block Critics on Social Media? O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier, a case that will determine whether public officials can block critics from their personal social media accounts without violating the First Amendment. The case arises from a dispute between California parents an ...
Race, Voting Rights, and the Supreme Court: Alexander v. S.C. State Conference of the NAACP
On Oct. 11, 2023, the Supreme Court heard the opening arguments for a case regarding redistricting and a potential violation of voting rights. Following the 2020 Census, a new congressional map was issued by South Carolina’s predominantly Republican Senate. This redistricting moved over 30,000 Black ...