United States Supreme Court - June 2013 Opinion Summaries

Hollingsworth v. Perry

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law
In challenge to the district court's ruling that California's Proposition 8, which amended the State Constitution to define marriage as a union...

Sekhar v. US

White Collar Crime, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure
Defendant's conviction of attempted extortion, in violation of the Hobbs Act, is reversed, where attempting to compel a person to recommend that his...

US v. Windsor

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Tax Law
In a tax refund suit, in which plaintiff challenged the determination that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) barred her from claiming the federal...

Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl

Constitutional Law, Family Law, Indian Law
In dispute arising under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) between an adoptive couple and the biological father of the child who had previously...

Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District

Constitutional Law, Environmental Law, Property Law & Real Estate
In a dispute involving plaintiff's attempt to obtain permits from defendant to develop a section of his property, defendant's denial of plaintiff's...

Shelby County v. Holder

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Elections, Government Law
Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which provides the "coverage formula," defining the "covered jurisdictions" as States or political subdivisions...

Mutual Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. v. Bartlett

Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Drugs & Biotech, Injury & Tort Law, Product Liability
State-law design-defect claims that turn on the adequacy of a drug's warnings are pre-empted by federal law under PLIVA. Inc. v. Mensing, which held...

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar

Constitutional Law, Labor & Employment Law
Title VII retaliation claims must be proved according to traditional principles of but-for causation, not the lessened causation test stated in 42...

Ryan v. Schad

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus
The Ninth Circuit's failure to issue its mandate that would allow defendant's execution to proceed as normally required by Federal Rule of Appellate...

Vance v. Ball State University

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Labor & Employment Law
An employee is a "supervisor" for purposes of vicarious liability under Title VII only if he or she is empowered by the employer to take tangible...