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On March 29, 2013, the Clinic filed a petition for certiorari on behalf of a federal criminal defendant in Tennessee who was convicted for making a YouTube video containing a threat against a judge and who contends that the government should have been required under the federal threat statute and the First Amendment to prove that he subjectively intended to threaten the judge. The petition in Jeffries v. United States is available here.
On March 1, 2013, the Clinic filed an amicus brief on behalf of numerous constitutional law scholars to argue that the Court has case-or-controversy jurisdiction over the challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The brief in United States v. Windsor is available here.
On February 8, 2013, the Clinic filed a petition for certiorari on behalf of Eric Wilson, a member of the “Norfolk Four,” who was wrongly convicted on the basis of a false confession procured by police misconduct. Mr. Wilson served more than seven years in prison as a result of his wrongful conviction and he is subject now to mandatory sex-offender registration and reporting laws. The petition for certiorari contends that Mr. Wilson remains in “custody” by virtue of his being subject to mandatory lifetime sex offender registration and reporting laws and that he should therefore be permitted to raise a habeas corpus challenge to vacate his wrongful conviction. The petition for writ of certiorari is here.
On January 4, 2013, the Court granted certiorari in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl to address the protections of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act in the child adoption context. The Clinic represents the respondent natural father, and its brief with co-respondent Cherokee Nation in opposition to certiorari is here.
On December 21, 2012, the Clinic filed a petition for certiorari on behalf of a Connecticut criminal defendant who contends that his rights under the Double Jeopardy Clause were violated when he was doubly prosecuted for possessing a firearm while subject to a protective order and for violating the same court order by possessing a firearm. The petition is available here.
On December 14, 2012, on behalf of respondent Medicaid recipients and special-needs trusts, the Clinic filed a brief in opposition to the State of Pennsylvania’s petition for certiorari seeking review of the Third Circuit’s decision that allowed respondents to challenge a Pennsylvania law restricting the rights of Medicaid recipients to maintain special-needs trusts. The brief is available here.
On November 14, 2012, the Clinic filed a petition for certiorari on behalf of a plaintiff who contends that her First Amendment right to free speech was violated when she was fired by her county government employer after she testified at a trial in a manner with which the government did not agree. The petition is available here.
On October 16, 2012, Clinic instructor Jeffrey Meyer published an op-ed (“Will Privacy Go to the Dogs?”) in the New York Times concerning the Court’s pending cases considering the use of police dog-sniffs and the Constitution’s right to privacy.
On September 28, 2012, the Clinic filed a petition for certiorari on behalf of a capital defendant from Tennessee to seek review of the lower courts’ denial of his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel that prevented him from establishing his innocence. The petition is available here.
On April 18, 2012 the Clinic filed a brief in opposition to certiorari on behalf of an African American firefighter who has challenged the City of New Haven's use of promotional exams on Title VII disparate-impact grounds. The brief is available here.
On April 2, 2012, the Court issued its opinion in Rehberg v. Paulk, No. 10-788. The Clinic represented the Petitioner.
On March 28, 2012, the Clinic hosted a symposium at Yale Law School entitled Interpreting Federal Statutes: The Dysfunctional Dialogue between the Courts and Congress. The schedule and a list of speakers is available here.
On March 26, 2012, the Clinic filed an amicus brief on behalf of state and local law enforcement officials in Arizona v. United States. The brief is available here.
Clinic instructor Charles Rothfeld argued Astrue v. Capato, No. 11-159, before the Court on March 19, 2012. An audio recording of the argument is available here and the transcript is available here.
Clinic instructor Charles Rothfeld argued Holder v. Sawyers, No. 10-1543, before the Court on January 18, 2012. An audio recording of the argument is available here and the transcript is available here.
Clinic instructor Andrew Pincus argued Rehberg v. Paulk, No. 10-788, before the Court on November 1, 2011. An audio recording of the argument is available here and the transcript is available here.
On October 3, 2011, the Clinic filed an amicus brief on behalf of electronic privacy advocates in United States v. Jones on the issue of the government’s warrantless use of GPS tracking devices. The brief is available here.
On June 9, 2011, the Court issued its opinion in DePierre v. United States, No. 09-1533. The Clinic represented the Petitioner
On March 21, 2011, the Court granted the petition for a writ of certiorari filed by the Clinic in Rehberg v. Paulk, No. 10-788.
Clinic instructor Andrew Pincus argued DePierre v. United States, No. 09-1533, before the Court on February 28, 2011. An audio recording of the argument is available here and the transcript is available here.
The Volokh Conspiracy's David Post discusses the Clinic's pending petition for a writ of certiorari in Roberts v. Kauffman Racing Equipment, L.L.C.On November 30, 2010, the Court issued its opinion in County of Los Angeles v. Humphries, No. 09-350. The Clinic represented the Respondents.
On October 12, 2010, the Court granted the petition for a writ of certiorari filed by the Clinic in DePierre v. United States.
Clinic instructor Andrew Pincus argued County of Los Angeles v. Humphries before the Court on October 5, 2010. An audio recording of the argument is available here and the transcript is available here.
Last Term, the Clinic's clients prevailed in all of the cases in which the Clinic participated on the merits: Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc. v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, No. 08-1151 (the opinion is here); and Carr v. United States, No. 08-1301 (the opinion is here).
The position advocated by the Clinic on behalf of amici curiae prevailed in City of Ontario v. Quon, No. 08-1322 (the opinion is here); Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, No. 08-1371 (the opinion is here); and Doe v. Reed, No, 09-599 (the opinion is here).
