Tony Mauro

June 29, 2005 | National Law Journal

Even without any official announcements from the ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist on his future, some were saying this term's rulings on property rights and federalism -- along with a batch of decisions overturning prisoners' death sentences, expanding civil rights remedies and striking down a Ten Commandments display -- served as something of an ending point to the Rehnquist Court. Says attorney Thomas Goldstein: "This term was the closing of a chapter, if not the closing of a book."

By Tony Mauro

11 minute read

February 01, 2010 | National Law Journal

What made President Obama's State of the Union Address swipe at the Court's Jan. 21 Citizens United v. FEC ruling linger through several news cycles was Justice Samuel Alito Jr.'s reaction to it.

By Tony Mauro

5 minute read

March 03, 2003 | New Jersey Law Journal

The Supreme Court last Wednesday sharply curtailed use of federal extortion law and RICO as legal tools against aggressive abortion clinic protesters.

By Tony Mauro

6 minute read

June 23, 2006 | Law.com

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday to give broad protection under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to employees who suffer retaliation for complaining about discrimination. The decision ends disarray among lower courts on the standard required to assess retaliation claims, but employment lawyers say it will trigger a new wave of litigation to determine what kind of actions constitute illegal retaliation. Said one law firm partner, "This decision is huge -- hugely bad for me as a defense lawyer."

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

October 21, 2002 | National Law Journal

It's the time-honored path for incoming U.S. Supreme Court law clerks: First they clerk for a top-notch federal appeals court judge, then they immediately proceed to their prestigious positions at the Supreme Court. Not anymore. A dramatically increasing number of high court clerks are spending time at a top law firm or elsewhere after their appeals court stint and before clerking at the Court.

By Tony Mauro

12 minute read

August 15, 2006 | National Law Journal

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. on Monday named Jeffrey Minear, a 20-year veteran of the solicitor general's office, to be his administrative assistant, a position akin to chief of staff. Minear, a longtime friend and former colleague of Roberts, has argued 56 cases before the high court. The announcement was welcomed by Supreme Court practitioners, who admire Minear's meticulous case preparation and calm, direct style of oral advocacy -- not unlike that of Roberts, himself a veteran high court advocate.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

December 09, 2009 | National Law Journal

U.S. Supreme Court justices of all stripes appeared sharply critical on Tuesday of the federal law that makes it a crime to "deprive another of honest services," leaving the often-used prosecutorial tool in serious doubt. The law has been attacked by liberals and conservatives alike as an example of "overcriminalization" and the tendency of Congress to outlaw activities that are already covered by state laws, giving federal prosecutors too much power.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

January 24, 2006 | Law.com

The Supreme Court on Monday said that its landmark ruling upholding the McCain-Feingold campaign reform law did not foreclose all First Amendment challenges to provisions restricting pre-election issue advertising. The Court remanded the case, which was argued before the justices on Jan. 17 -- a remarkably quick turnaround for a contentious issue. The ruling could invite other challenges to the law as applied in real-world situations not anticipated in the 2003 ruling McConnell v. FEC.

By Tony Mauro

3 minute read

October 12, 2010 | National Law Journal

David Frederick, a partner at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, has made a habit of arguing successfully against federal pre-emption before the Supreme Court. It's a high-stakes specialty that casts him in frequent opposition to big business.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

January 17, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

In a splintered and complex decision that may throw federal criminal cases into short-term chaos, the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 12 took the bite out of the federal sentencing guidelines and may have handed back to federal judges the discretion in sentencing they lost 20 years ago after the guidelines were enacted.

By Tony Mauro

9 minute read