Tony Mauro

December 07, 2005 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court seemed poised Tuesday to uphold a law requiring law schools to give equal campus access to military recruiters as a condition of receiving federal funds. Heller Ehrman's E. Joshua Rosenkranz attacked the law on First Amendment grounds as a form of compelled speech requiring schools to adopt the message "Join the army, but not if you're gay." He came under heavy fire from Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., whose questioning showed his conservativism perhaps more than any oral argument so far.

By Tony Mauro

5 minute read

April 21, 2005 | Corporate Counsel

In March the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the veil of secrecy that has shrouded important parts of the U.S. Tax Court's proceedings for the past 22 years. The high court ruled 7 to 2 that early-stage determinations made by special trial judges-assigned by Tax Court judges to make recommendations on how to decide particular cases-must be made public. Until the Supreme Court's decision, those determinations had been kept secret from the parties in the cases as well as the circuit courts that ultimately heard the

By Tony Mauro

3 minute read

September 29, 2009 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court's business-heavy docket this term seems almost tailor-made to engage and challenge its newest member, Justice Sonia Sotomayor. A one-time intellectual property litigator and a veteran judge from the 2nd Circuit, Sotomayor is unlikely to hesitate to jump into the mix on corporate issues. In fact, during a special Sept. 9 reargument of a campaign finance case, Sotomayor made a comment that has some wondering if she has a re-examination of the foundations of corporate law on her to-do list.

By Tony Mauro

8 minute read

June 15, 2004 | Law.com

Atheist Michael Newdow's quixotic challenge to the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance came to an end Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that he did not have standing to bring suit on his daughter's behalf. The decision in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow sweeps away the controversial 9th Circuit ruling that found the Pledge, as recited in public schools, violated the First Amendment's establishment clause.

By Tony Mauro

7 minute read

April 25, 2005 | New Jersey Law Journal

The Supreme Court last Tuesday made it easier for companies to resist class actions by shareholders who seek compensation for stock market losses.

By Tony Mauro

10 minute read

August 27, 2009 | Law.com

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a pair of statements on the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. -- one from Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and the other from Justice Stephen Breyer, who worked for Kennedy 30 years ago as chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. And a handwritten note found in the recently released papers of the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist serves as an example of Kennedy's talent for making alliances and extending courtesies across the aisle and with adversaries.

By Tony Mauro

2 minute read

December 31, 2008 | National Law Journal

California atheist Michael Newdow -- famed for challenging the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance -- has gone to federal court seeking an injunction to prevent Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., as well as the congressional sponsors of the Jan. 20 inaugural and several other defendants, from inserting the words "so help me God" into the presidential oath of office. But the plaintiffs indicate that they would have no objection if President-elect Barack Obama chooses to add the words himself.

By Tony Mauro

3 minute read

June 30, 2006 | The Legal Intelligencer

By a cascading series of mix-and-match majorities, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the controversial mid-decade Texas Republican redistricting plan spearheaded by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

By Tony Mauro ALM

4 minute read

March 15, 2000 | Law.com

More than six years ago, when California political science Professor Peter Irons sought to market the Supreme Court's oral argument tapes, the Court's first reaction was to threaten the professor with a lawsuit. It appears the Court -- or at least Chief Justice William Rehnquist -- has traveled a long way since then, judging by Tuesday's remarkable decision by the Judicial Conference to, in effect, allow federal judges' financial disclosure forms to be posted on the Internet.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

April 14, 2006 | Law.com

Victory was sweet as a sauterne last May for the lawyers who persuaded the Supreme Court to tear down trade barriers that prevented the interstate shipment of wines direct to consumers, capping a six-year battle waged by small wine makers and their elite legal team. Then came the hangover. A fee dispute broke out earlier this year over how much money the winning team should receive. Papers filed in the case shed a rare behind-the-scenes light on how war is waged in high-stakes high court litigation.

By Tony Mauro

8 minute read