Tony Mauro

September 14, 2009 | National Law Journal

During last week's extraordinary Supreme Court oral argument in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, some of the more remarkable moments came when Justice John Paul Stevens repeatedly referred, with approval, to a brief filed in the case by the National Rifle Association. Not a pairing you might expect, but Stevens saw in the brief a possible way to rule on the case narrowly, without totally upending major Court precedents on corporate and union spending in election campaigns.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

April 28, 2004 | Law.com

Until Tuesday, Cheney v. United States District Court for the District of Columbia was best known for sparking a debate over the propriety of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia duck-hunting with the veep while the case was pending. When the case, which concerns the scope of executive power, was finally argued, Scalia took his place on the bench despite pressure to recuse -- and albeit with a subdued tone, he asked tough questions as usual.

By Tony Mauro

6 minute read

March 05, 2004 | Law.com

A cornucopia of inside information about the Supreme Court went on view Thursday as the Library of Congress released papers of the late Justice Harry Blackmun. Initial peeks indicate that Blackmun, who retired from the Court in 1994, cooperated extensively with the authors of the controversial 1979 book "The Brethren" and that the Court in his time was the scene of numerous vote changes that altered the outcome of major cases, including Roe v. Wade.

By Tony Mauro

7 minute read

October 04, 2005 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court opened a new chapter in its history Monday under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., who quickly showed himself to be an active questioner and strict timekeeper from the bench. Through two oral arguments on fairly technical matters -- one on the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the other on the impact of a Kansas fuel tax on Indian tribes -- Roberts was fully engaged, displaying detailed knowledge about the cases.

By Tony Mauro

5 minute read

July 02, 2009 | The Legal Intelligencer

The Supreme Court's unusual order Monday delaying a decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and setting it for reargument Sept. 9 may introduce more pressure on the Senate to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor and have her on the bench by then.

By Tony Mauro

3 minute read

May 24, 2004 | The Legal Intelligencer

It was fitting that one of Alan Morrison's final acts on behalf of the Public Citizen Litigation Group was to irritate the powerful - something he has done regularly for more than three decades.

By Tony Mauro

10 minute read

October 01, 2007 | National Law Journal

The debut of Justice Clarence Thomas' memoir, "My Grandfather's Son," has been accompanied by the re-emergence of Armstrong Williams, the controversial conservative commentator, as a visible ally, if not spokesman, for the justice. Williams offers a preview of the book, and says Thomas is ready for whatever return fire might come from Capitol Hill over its contents: "He'd rather be criticized for writing about it than ignoring it."

By Tony Mauro

3 minute read

June 23, 2006 | Law.com

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a closely watched patent case on whether a naturally occurring scientific relationship can be patented. The Court's surprise action came in Laboratory Corp. v. Metabolite Laboratories, a dispute over the patentability of a correlation between blood composition and a vitamin deficiency. But an unusual dissent by Justice Stephen Breyer hinted that the case was dismissed because the patentability issue was not squarely raised before the Federal Circuit.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

September 09, 2009 | Law.com

With President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden watching, new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor formally took her seat on the Court on Tuesday afternoon as Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wished her a "long and happy career in our common calling." A beaming Sotomayor was joined in the courtroom by family, friends and a star-studded list of legal heavyweights, including her predecessor, David Souter.

By Tony Mauro

3 minute read

June 21, 2004 | The Legal Intelligencer

The intense annual competition to lure elite Supreme Court law clerks to top law firms is reaching record heights this year, with some firms offering jaw-dropping hiring bonuses of $150,000 or more.

By Tony Mauro

9 minute read