U.S. Supreme Court
Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket
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Featured
U.S. Supreme Court
Jan 2020
Immigrants' Rights
International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump
The American Civil Liberties Union and other partner organizations filed a federal lawsuit challenging President Trump’s Muslim ban executive order, charging it violates the Constitution — including the First Amendment’s prohibition of government establishment of religion and the Fifth Amendment’s guarantees of equal treatment under the law — and federal laws.
U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2018
Privacy & Technology
Carpenter v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled that the government needs a warrant to access a person’s cellphone location history. The court found in a 5 to 4 decision that obtaining such information is a search under the Fourth Amendment and that a warrant from a judge based on probable cause is required.
U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2018
LGBTQ Rights
Religious Liberty
Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
Whether a business open to the public has a constitutional right to discriminate.
All Cases
11 Supreme Court Cases during the 2017 Term
U.S. Supreme Court
Jan 2018
Smart Justice
Bobby Bostic v. Rhoda Pash
Does sentencing a juvenile offender who did not commit homicide to a term-of-years sentence under which he will not be eligible for parole until he is 112 years old violate the Eighth Amendment?
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jan 2018
Smart Justice
Bobby Bostic v. Rhoda Pash
Does sentencing a juvenile offender who did not commit homicide to a term-of-years sentence under which he will not be eligible for parole until he is 112 years old violate the Eighth Amendment?
U.S. Supreme Court
Nov 2017
Criminal Law Reform
Byrd v. United States
Does the Fourth Amendment apply to the search of a rental car operated by an individual who has the renter’s permission to drive the car but is not himself listed as an authorized driver on the rental agreement?
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U.S. Supreme Court
Nov 2017
Criminal Law Reform
Byrd v. United States
Does the Fourth Amendment apply to the search of a rental car operated by an individual who has the renter’s permission to drive the car but is not himself listed as an authorized driver on the rental agreement?
U.S. Supreme Court
Oct 2017
Capital Punishment
Ayestas v. Davis
What showing does a federal habeas petitioner needs to make to obtain funding to develop evidence?
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U.S. Supreme Court
Oct 2017
Capital Punishment
Ayestas v. Davis
What showing does a federal habeas petitioner needs to make to obtain funding to develop evidence?
U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2017
Criminal Law Reform
District of Columbia v. Wesby
Whether police officers who lack probable cause to arrest because they have insufficient evidence to support each necessary element of the offense – here, a culpable state of mind – can nonetheless be protected by qualified immunity.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2017
Criminal Law Reform
District of Columbia v. Wesby
Whether police officers who lack probable cause to arrest because they have insufficient evidence to support each necessary element of the offense – here, a culpable state of mind – can nonetheless be protected by qualified immunity.
U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2017
Disability Rights
+3 Issues
Epic Systems Co. v. Lewis; Ernst & Young v. Morris; National Labor Relations Board v. Murphy Oil
Whether employment agreements that prevent workers from taking “concerted” action to challenge workplace violations conflict with protections in federal labor law.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2017
Disability Rights
+3 Issues
Epic Systems Co. v. Lewis; Ernst & Young v. Morris; National Labor Relations Board v. Murphy Oil
Whether employment agreements that prevent workers from taking “concerted” action to challenge workplace violations conflict with protections in federal labor law.
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!