Tony Mauro

December 11, 2008 | National Law Journal

On Wednesday, an aspect of the Bush administration's war-on-terror policies drew criticism from at least some of the Supreme Court justices: the roundup of Arab-Americans and Muslims that the government said had some terrorist connection, in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But the Court seemed unlikely to act on that skepticism and expose top government officials to personal liability for their role in ordering and administering the roundup.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

June 24, 2003 | Law.com

The U.S. Supreme Court embraced the concept of affirmative action in university admissions Monday. Writing for the 5-4 majority in Grutter v. Bollinger, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the Court, in upholding the University of Michigan Law School policy, agreed that school diversity is a "compelling state interest" that can justify such use of race within certain limits. In a separate 6-3 opinion, the Court struck down Michigan's undergraduate admissions program as "not narrowly tailored."

By Tony Mauro

8 minute read

May 08, 2008 | The Legal Intelligencer

Hope is beginning to dim that Congress will pass a pay hike for federal judges this year - despite some early legislative successes and behind-the-scenes lobbying by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr.

By Tony Mauro

6 minute read

February 15, 2007 | National Law Journal

In a rare appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy made a plea for increasing judicial salaries and against allowing cameras in the Court. Congress' failure to give federal judges meaningful raises is "threatening the excellence of the judiciary," Kennedy said. As for cameras in the Court, Kennedy pointedly urged the Senate not to introduce the "insidious temptation" for justices to shape their comments and questions from the bench into sound bites.

By Tony Mauro

5 minute read

September 27, 2004 | Texas Lawyer

Anticipating a substantial budget shortfall in the next fiscal year, the Judicial Conference on Sept. 21 approved $225 million in cost-cutting measures, including substantial layoffs and a moratorium that will freeze plans for 42 new federal courthouses.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

December 03, 2003 | Law.com

The U.S. Supreme Court struggled Tuesday over a key church-state case challenging a Washington state law that excludes theology majors from eligibility for state scholarships. While justices seemed troubled by the exclusion, many appeared equally concerned about striking down the law in a way that could force states to fund a broad range of religious activities.

By Tony Mauro

5 minute read

March 15, 2007 | The Legal Intelligencer

The Judicial Conference took steps Tuesday to end secret dockets in federal courts and to eventually put audio of federal court proceedings online.

By Tony Mauro ALM Supreme Court Correspondent

4 minute read

July 14, 2010 | National Law Journal

Last month's U.S. Supreme Court decision on the privacy of petition signers in state ballot initiatives is already being invoked in the broader context of defending state sunshine and open meeting laws.

By Tony Mauro

4 minute read

October 29, 2007 | National Law Journal

The 4th Circuit revisits Virginia�s "partial-birth" abortion law in light of the Supreme Court�s ruling in Carhart v. Gonzales.

By Tony Mauro

6 minute read

November 10, 2009 | Law.com

U.S. Supreme Court justices from across the spectrum voiced skepticism Monday about whether intangible business methods and other innovations untethered to machines deserved patent protection. The comments, some of which bordered on the derisive, came in the long-awaited argument in Bilski v. Kappos, touted by some as the most important patent case in decades. Several attorneys predicted after the argument that the Court will look for a narrow ground for decision in the case.

By Tony Mauro

5 minute read