United States Fifth Circuit

A state's participation in the federal regulatory function delegated by Congress in the 1996 Telecommunications Act serves as a voluntary waiver of Eleventh Amendment immunity. Further, a private party can sue individual state officers under Ex Parte Young for alleged violations of federal law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/16/2001
• Published 01/16/2001

Judges

• DENNIS, Circuit Judge:, Before POLITZ, SMITH and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Carter G. Phillips,Stephen Blake Kinnaird (argued), David L. Lawson, Sidley & Austin, Washington, DC, David Laurence Guerry, Long Law Firm, Baton Rouge, LA, for AT&T Communications., David Paul Murray, Randy Branitsky, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Washington, DC, for Spring Communications Co., L.P., Amicus Curiae., Mark Bernard Stern (argued), Civ. Div., App. Staff, Susan Lynn Pacholski, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Washington, DC, for United States and Federal Communications Commission, Intervenors., Edward H. Bergin, R. Patrick Vance, T. Michael Twomey, Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, Victoria K. McHenry, BellSouth Telecommunications, New Orleans, LA, Sean Abram Lev, Michael K. Kellogg, Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd & Evans, Samuel L. Feder, Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, Washington, DC, for BellSouth Telecommunications Inc., Neil T. Erwin (argued), Michael Allyn Stroud (argued), Wiener, Weiss & Madison, Shreveport, LA, Eve Kahao Gonzalez, Louisiana Public Service Com'n, Baton Rouge, LA, for Louisiana Public Service Com'n., Owen, Dixon, Sittig, Field, Blossman and Commissioner of Louisiana Public Service Com'n., Alicia Reggie Freysinger, New Orleans, LA, Brad E. Mutschelknaus, John J. Heitmann, Kelley, Drye & Warren, Washington, DC, for American Communication Services of Louisiana, Inc., American Communication Services of Baton Rouge, Inc. and American Communication Services of Shreveport, Inc.