Litigation Group Argues 50th Supreme Court Case

Public Citizen Litigation Group argued its 50th case in front of the Supreme Court on Monday, November 28, in Will v. Hallock, an important case involving citizen access to the courts.

The Group has only eight permanent staff attorneys, yet has four oral arguments in front of the Court this term alone. For information and press coverage on these four cases, please click here.

Since the Group's founding in 1972, its attorneys have argued a diverse array of cases in front of the Supreme Court, winning about 60 percent of them. Its cases have concerned the First Amendment, access to the courts, open government, consumer rights, health and safety regulations, due process, and union democracy. To view a list of the cases that the Group has argued, please click here.

In the Group’s 50th Supreme Court argument, Will v. Hallock, we represent Susan Hallock and her defunct business, Ferncliff Associates, against individual U.S. Customs Service agents for their deliberate destruction of computer equipment and the subsequent loss of the business. The question presented to the Court is whether the dismissal of a prior suit under the Federal Tort Claims Act bars Hallock’s claims against the individual Customs Service agents for intentional violation of constitutional rights. For more information about the case, please click here.

In addition to the 50 cases the Group's attorneys have argued in front of the Supreme Court, the Group has assisted in hundreds of public interest cases through the Alan Morrison Supreme Court Assistance Project (SCAP). SCAP assists outside attorneys in writing briefs and preparing for oral arguments, including conducting moot courts. During any Supreme Court Term, SCAP is involved, on average, in 15-20 cases in which the Court granted certiorari (out of about 75 that the Court hears), and in many others at the pre-certiorari stage. To learn more about SCAP, please click here.

Outside of its Supreme Court litigation, the Group maintains a flourishing practice in state and federal courts. The Group specializes in health and safety regulation, consumer rights, including class actions and access to the courts, open government, and the First Amendment, including internet free speech. For more information about the cases in which the Group is involved, please click here.