2011-2012 Term Cases

Click case names for blog posts and case numbers for slip opinions.

• Hamdan v. United States, No. 11-1257 (Oct 16, 2012) (Kavanaugh, J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., with concurrence by Ginsburg, S.J.) [Criminal: Material Support for Terrorism] (holding appeal not moot, reversing conviction on ex post facto grounds)
• Sherley v. Sebelius, No. 10-5287 (Aug. 24, 2012) (Sentelle, C.J., with concurrence by Henderson, J., & concurrence by Brown, J.) [Stem Cell Research, Dickey-Wicker Amendment] (affirming summary judgment against research opponents)
• R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company v. FDA, No. 11-5332 (argued April 10, 2012) (Brown, J., joined by Randolph, S.J., with dissent by Rogers, J.) [First Amendment] (affirming summary judgment in favor of tobacco companies on challenge to graphic warning labels]
• Feld v. Feld, No. 11-7066 (July 31, 2012) (Griffith, J., joined by Henderson & Rogers, JJ.) [Diversity, Forcible Ejection, Fed. R. Civ. P. 50] (holding failed motion for summary judgment preserves purely legal  issue for appeal)
• United States v. Phillip Morris USA, Inc., No. 11-5145 (July 27, 2012) (Brown, J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., & Silberman, S.J.) [RICO] (affirming denial of motion to vacate injunction, holding Tobacco Control Act did not deprive district court of jurisdiction)
• United States v. Phillip Morris USA, Inc., No. 11-5146 (July 27, 2012) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Brown, J., & Silberman, S.J.)  [RICO] (dismissing for lack of jurisdiction interlocutory appeal of order clarifying injunction)
• Spirit Airlines v. Dep’t of Transp., No. 11-1219 (July 24, 2012) (Tatel, J., joined by Henderson, J., with Randolph, S.J., concurring in part and dissenting in part) [First Amendment] (denying petition for review of Airfare Advertising Rule)
• American Petroleum Inst. v. EPA, No. 10-1079 (July 17, 2012) (Ginsburg, S.J., joined by Rogers, J., & Edwards, S.J.) [Clean Air Act] (denying petition for review of NAAQS for nitrogen dioxide)
• Burke v. Air Serv Int’l, Inc., No. 11-7037 (July 13, 2012) (Garland, J., joined by Henderson & Brown, JJ.) [Negligence, Erie doctrine] (affirming summary judgment for lack of expert testimony on standard of care)
• Rattigan v. Holder, No. 10-5014, (July 10, 2012) (on rehearing) (Tatel, J., joined by Rogers, J., with Kavanaugh, J., dissenting) [Title VII] (remanding retaliation claim based on FBI officers’ security reporting; narrowing scope of Title VII liability to knowingly false reporting)
• Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Inc v. Copyright Royalty Board, No. 11-1083 (July 6, 2012) (Williams, S.J., joined by Garland & Griffith, JJ.) [Appointments Clause] (holding Board’s structure unconstitutional and granting Librarian of Congress unfettered removal power)
• In re Sealed Case, No. 08-3027 (July 3, 2012) (Griffith, J., joined by Garland, J., & Williams, S.J.) [Criminal] (affirming conviction pursuant to plea; remanding ineffective assistance claim)
• Coalition for Responsible Regulation, Inc. v. EPA, No. 09-1322 (June 26, 2012) (per curiam, joined by Sentelle, C.J., Rogers & Tatel, JJ.) [Environmental] (denying petition for review of greenhouse gas Endangerment finding and Tailpipe Rule; dismissing petition for review of Timing and Tailoring Rules for lack of standing)
• NLRB v. Downtown Bid Servs. Corp., No. 11-1199 (June 22, 2012) (Brown, J., with Sentelle, C.J., concurring in part and dissenting in part, and Henderson, J., concurring) [Labor] (upholding certification of union election)
• Rapoport v. SEC, No. 11-1082 (June 19, 2012) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Griffith, J., & Williams, S.J.) [Auer deference] (vacating SEC order denying motion to set aside a default)
• Doe v. Rumsfeld, No. 11-5209 (June 15, 2012) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Brown & Griffith, JJ.) [Bivens] (denying Bivens remedy for U.S. citizen defense contractor detained in Iraq)
• Fox v. Clinton, No. 11-5010 (June 12, 2012) (Edwards, S.J., joined by Garland, J., with concurrence by Williams, S.J.) [Citizenship] (remanding State Department’s denial of Certificate of Loss of Nationality)
• E.I. Du Pont Nemours & Co. v. NLRB, No. 10-1300 (June 8, 2012) (Ginsburg, J., joined by Edwards, S.J., with Randolph, S.J., concurring in the judgment) [Labor] (remanding NLRB’s unfair labor practice order where employer changed benefits program between CBAs)
• In re: People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, No. 12-1118 (June 1, 2012) (per curiam, joined by Henderson & Tatel, JJ., & Williams, S.J.) [AEDPA] (ordering action on Foreign Terrorist Organization designation petition under threat of mandamus)
• National Ass’n of Indep. Labor v. FLRA, No. 11-1299 (June 1, 2012) (Kavanaugh, J., joined by Henderson & Tatel, JJ.) [FLRA] (denying petition)
• Shelby County, Ala. v. Holder, No. 11-5256 (May 18, 2012) (Tatel, J., joined by Griffith, J., with dissent by Williams, S.J.) [Voting Rights Act] (upholding section 5)
• Ponce v. Billington, No. 11-5117 (Apr. 9, 2012) (Tatel, J., joined by Garland, J., & Silberman, S.J.) [Title VII] (affirming jury verdict for employer)
• Trump Plaza Assocs. v. NLRB, No. 10-1412 (May 11, 2012) (Henderson, J., joined by Griffith & Kavanaugh, JJ.) [NLRA] (vacating and remanding order certifying union election and finding failure to bargain)
• Tucker v. Comm’r of Internal Revenue, No. 11-1191 (April 20, 2012) (Williams, S.J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., & Griffith, J.) [Appointments Clause,  Tax] (affirming Tax Court)
• AKM LLC, dba Volks Constructors v. Sec’y of Labor, No. 11-1106 (Apr. 6, 2012) (Brown, J., joined by Henderson, J., with Garland, J., concurring in the judgment, and concurring opinion by Brown, J.) [OSHA statute of limitations] (vacating citations)
• Hard Rock Holdings v. NLRB, No. 11-1104 (Mar. 23, 2012) (Rogers, J., joined by Edwards, S.J., and Ginsburg, S.J.) [NLRB] (denying petition for review of union election certification)
• Suleiman v. Obama, No. 10-5292 (Griffith, J., joined by Tatel & Garland, JJ.) (Jan. 27, 2012, unsealed Feb. 7, 2012) [Guantanamo] (affirming habeas denial)
• Rudder v. Williams, No. 10-7101 (Jan. 17, 2012) (Ginsburg, J., joined by Henderson & Kavanaugh, JJ.)
• Dominguez v. UAL Corp., No. 10-7138 (Jan. 17, 2012) (Griffith, J., joined by Henderson & Tatel, JJ.) [Standing]
• Hamilton v. Geithner, No. 10-5419 (Jan. 17, 2012) (Tatel, J., joined by Garland, J., and Ginsburg, S.J.) [Title VII]
• United States v. Queen Nwoye, No. 08-3051 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Brown, J., joined by Tatel, J., & Williams, S.J.) [Criminal]
• In re: Sealed Case, No. 09-3116 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Williams, S.J., & Randolph, S.J.) [Criminal]
• Singh v. George Washington Univ. Sch. of Med. & Health Sciences, No. 09-7032 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Garland, J., & Williams, S.J.) [ADA]
• Fortuna Enterprises, LP v. NLRB, No. 10-1272 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Randolph, S.J., joined by Ginsburg & Henderson, JJ.) [NLRA] (vacating NLRB order)
• Arc Bridges, Inc. v. NLRB, No. 10-1330 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Randolph, S.J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., & Williams, S.J.) [NLRA] (vacating NLRB order)
• Portland Cement Ass’n v. EPA, No. 10-1358 (Dec. 9, 2011) (per curiam, joined by Henderson & Tatel, JJ., with concurrence by Brown, J.) [Clean Air Act]
• United States v. Guerrero, No. 10-3043 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Kavanaugh, J., & Williams, S.J.) [Criminal]
• Williams & Connolly v. SEC, No. 10-5330 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Randolph, S.J., joined by Ginsburg, J., & Edwards, S.J.) [FOIA]
• Nat’l Ass’n of Home Builders v. EPA, No. 10-5341 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Henderson, J., joined by Ginsburg, J., and in part by Kavanaugh, J.) [Clean Water Act] (holding that association lacked organizational and representative standing to challenge determination that two reaches of the Santa Cruz River are “traditional navigable waters” covered by the CWA).
• In re: Contempt Finding in United States v. Stevens (Welch & Morris), No. 10-5372 (Dec. 9, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Garland , J., with concurrence by Edwards, C.J.) [Civil contempt] (“[B]ecause the purpose and character of the contempt found . . . were civil in nature, the district court did not err by failing to provide . . . the procedural protections afforded by [Fed. R. Crim. P.] 42(a).”).
• American Airlines, Inc. v. TSA, No. 10-1418 (Dec. 6, 2011) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Ginsburg, J., & Williams, S.J.) [Baggage-screening system reimbursement] (remanding because in refusing to reimburse the airline, TSA failed to follow or create a suitable prioritization list as required by 9/11 Commission Act of 2007)
• Petties v. Dist. of Columbia, No. 10-7149 (Dec. 2, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Garland & Griffith, JJ.) [IDEA injunction, changed circumstances]
• Ibrahim v. United States, No. 09-5052 (Nov. 29, 2011) (Williams, S.J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., & Randolph, S.J.) [Criminal habeas]
• Sierra Club v. Antwerp, No. 10-5284 (Nov. 29, 2011) (Williams, S.J., joined by Garland & Kavanaugh, JJ.) [NEPA, ESA, CWA]
• Manor Care of Easton, Pa., LLC v. NLRB, No. 10-1411 (Nov. 22, 2011) (per curiam, joined by Rogers, J., Williams, S.J., & Randolph, S.J.) [NLRA enforcement] (upholding finding that employer committed an unfair labor practice by telling employee to ““stop worrying about the Union and worry about your job”).
• Vermont Pub. Serv. Bd. v. FCC, No. 10-1184 (Nov. 18, 2011) (Tatel, J., joined by Henderson & Griffith, JJ.) [Universal Service Program rates]
• Environmentel, LLC v. FCC, No. 10-1344 (Nov. 18, 2011) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Williams, S.J., & Randolph, SJ.) [Radio spectrum licensing]
• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation P’ship, No. 10-5386 (Nov. 18, 2011) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Rogers & Griffith, JJ.) [National Environmental Policy Act]
• United States v. Lawrence, No. 09-3110 (Nov. 15, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., & Griffith, J.) [Criminal Sentencing] (no reversible error where the amount of cocaine distributed fell within the same quantity range in the Sentencing Guidelines as the amount stated by the district court at sentencing; no plain error in refusing to consider pending legislation that would have eliminated crack/powder disparity)
• Cooper v. NTSB, No. 10-1326 (Nov. 15, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Garland & Brown, JJ.) [Federal Aviation Act] (affirming revocation of pilot’s certificates where he failed to disclose a drunk driving arrest and admitted not reading the relevant question; FAA’s willful disregard standard is entitled to deference)
• Youkelsone v. FDIC, No. 10-5197 (Nov. 8, 2011) (per curiam, joined by Tatel & Brown, JJ., & Williams, S.J.) [FRAP  4(a)(5)(C)]
• Seven-Sky v. Holder, No. 11-5047 (Nov. 8, 2011) (Silberman, S.J., with concurrence by Edwards, S.J., and dissent by Kavanaugh, J.) [Affordable Care Act]
• Wolf Run Mining Co. v. Fed’l Mine Safety & Health Review Comm’n, No. 10-1392 (Henderson, J., joined by Tatel & Griffith, JJ.) [Mine Act]
• United States v. David, No. 10-3024 (Nov. 4, 2011) (Williams, S.J., joined by Sentelle, C.J., & Randolph, S.J.) [Criminal Sentencing]
• United States ex rel. Batiste v. SLM Corp., No. 10-7140 (Nov. 4, 2011) (Sentelle, C.J., joined by Rogers & Brown, JJ.) [False Claims Act]
• NRDC v. EPA, No. 10-1105 (Oct. 28, 2011) (Williams, S.J., joined by Edwards, S.J. & Ginsburg, S.J.) [Clean Air Act]
• Town of Barnstable, Mass. v. FAA, No. 10-1276 (Oct. 28, 2011) (Williams, S.J., joined by Tatel & Brown, JJ.) [No Hazard Ruling]
• SEC v. Whittemore, No. 10-5321 (Oct. 28, 2011) (Rogers, J., joined by Sentelle, C.J. & Brown, J.) [Civil Fraud]
• Am. Soc’y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals v. Feld Entmnt., No. 10-7007 (Oct. 28, 2011) (Tatel, J., joined by Garland, J., & Brown, J.) [Endangered Species Act]