Case Status: Partial Win: The Supreme Court struck down the UM undergraduate admissions system but upheld the law school system.
Gratz & Grutter: What Was the Dispute?
“Diversity” or quotas? At issue in Gratz and Grutter were two contentions by the University of Michigan: first, that racial diversity is a compelling state interest that justifies an exception to the 14th Amendment and, second, that dual admissions…
Case Status: Victory
Burke v. Doe
CIR is representing an anonymous Wikipedia editor in a precedent-seeting case designed to establish the First Amendment right of anonymous internet authors to remain anonymous...
Case Status: Victory. Summary Judgment granted by US District Court.
New York P3 v. Walsh: If we win...
New York Counties New York P3 v. Walsh challenges an unconstitutional New York state law. If we win, New York will no longer have the authority to restrict contributions to independent expenditure committees. In addition, a…
Case Status: Victory. Summary Judgment granted by US District Court.
New York P3 v. Walsh: Why a PAC?
One might wonder why a super PAC has First Amendment rights that trump state regulation of campaign contributions. After all, a wealthy individual can make a contribution to a PAC that he knows will be…
Case Status: Victory. Summary Judgment granted by US District Court.
New York P3 v. Walsh: Why New York?
New York is one of the few states that continues to regulate contributions to independent campaign committees despite Supreme Court decisions that make clear that so long as an entity is expressing its views independent…
Case Status: Victory. Summary Judgment granted by US District Court.
New York Progress and Protection PAC v. Walsh
CIR represented the New York Progress and Protection PAC ("NYP3"), an independent campaign committee formed to run television, radio, and print advertisements on behalf of conservative political candidates in New York State. NYP3 was blocked…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. CTA: Chronology
June 27, 2018VICTORY: SUPREME COURT ENDS COMPELLED UNION DUESToday, the Supreme Court ended compelled union dues and restored First Amendment rights to thousands of public employees across the country.SUPREME COURT DENIES FRIEDRICHS…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. CTA: Who are the lawyers?
Lead Counsel Michael Carvin Michael Carvin served as lead counsel of Friedrichs v. CTA. Mr. Carvin is a partner at Jones Day. Carvin is a founding board member of CIR and has worked closely with…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. CTA: What Do Unions Say?
Union defenders claim that compulsory dues are necessary to prevent individual employees from obtaining the benefits of union membership without paying for them — called “free riding.” Who is the free rider? The union assumes…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. CTA: Why Now?
For years, the Supreme Court has allowed compulsory union dues by treating them as an exception to the guarantee of freedom of association. Generally, the Court has reasoned that compulsory union membership is necessary to…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. CTA: Why the Courts?
This lawsuit is about the right of teachers and other public employees to decide for themselves whether to join and support a union. Unfortunately, the courts are the primary institutional roadblock to individual…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. CTA: Why Teachers?
Plaintiffs Jelena Figuerora, Karen Cuen, Rebecca Friedrichs CIR is representing ten long-time California teachers who fundamentally disagree with positions taken by the California Teachers Association and would not join or support the union if they…
Case Status: Dismissed. Dismissal affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court.
Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association et al.
CIR represented ten California teachers and the Christian Educators Association International in a landmark effort to re-establish the right of individual teachers and other public employees to decide for themselves whether to join and support…
Case Status: Loss
Blessing v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc.
CIR filed an amicus brief in Blessing v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc. challenging requirement that lawyers appointed to represent the plaintiff class had to have a gender and racial makeup that “fairly reflects” that of…
Case Status: Case resolved on other grounds
U.S. v. Miller
CIR is representing Kathryn Miller, an Amish woman appealing her conviction for the federal "hate crime" of participating in the forcible cutting of the beards and hair of other Amish for religious reasons. CIR contends…
Case Status: Loss. Supreme Court upheld the ACA under Congress's taxing authority.
Florida v. HHS
CIR filed amicus briefs in case challenging individual mandate portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, more popularly known as "ObamaCare"...
Case Status: Victory. 5-4 majority struck down racial balancing plan.
Parents Involved v. Seattle School District No. 1
CIR filed amicus brief in a case challenging a race-based school assignment plan...
Case Status: Victory
BAMN v. Brown
CIR filed an amicus brief in a 2012 case challenging California's Prop. 209 on the grounds that a state constitutional amendment barring the use of racial preferences was itself illegal racial discrimination...
Case Status: Loss
Aguilar v. Avis Rent-A-Car
CIR filed an amicus brief contesting court-ordered injunction prohibiting "offensive" epithets in the workplace as unlawful prior restraint of constitutionally protected speech...
Case Status: Victory
Ricci v. DeStefano
CIR filed amicus briefs in case challenging the manipulative jettisoning of hiring tests in order to achieve a certain racial mix of employees...