Legal Progress also released a new video that features scholars, litigators, and thought leaders exploring the question of why courts matter.
Washington, D.C. — The passing of Justice Antonin Scalia left an unexpected and critical vacancy in the U.S. Supreme Court in the middle of its 2015-16 term, which was already shaping up to be one of the most impactful terms of the past 50 years. Having already heard about half of the cases on its docket for the year, the Court is considering cases in which critical political, civil, and individual rights hang in the balance.
Given the potential impacts of these cases, Legal Progress, the legal policy program at the Center for American Progress, launched a new website today to feature nine major cases before the Supreme Court this year, and to highlight what is at stake for the more than 100 million Americans who are waiting for justice—making a specific effort to emphasize the actual numbers of people affected in each case. With the political battle over the Court’s vacancy now in its third month, the stakes are only increasing.
NeedTheNine.org, which will be updated to reflect new developments in the cases and Supreme Court decisions, also includes important resources to explain what is at stake in brief and digestible ways, including:
- Short explainer videos on several cases, such as one posting later this week about the immigration case United States v. Texas
- A column about how the broad impact of the cases in front of the Supreme Court this session underscores the need to fill the vacancy
- An op-ed by Legal Progress Vice President Michele L. Jawando urging the U.S. Senate to do its job and consider the nomination of Merrick Garland
- An issue brief that gives more detail on the specific impacts of the cases at the Supreme Court this year and explains why the vacancy matters to all Americans
- A new video released today that features scholars, litigators, and thought leaders exploring the question of why courts matter
Access the full site at NeedTheNine.org.
For more information or to speak to an expert on any of these cases, please contact Tanya S. Arditi at [email protected] or 202.741.6258.
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