For this holiday week, there was one item on the menu at the D.C. Circuit: the extraordinary remedy of mandamus. The EPA’s violation of law, it turned out, was clearer than crystal. In re Center for Biological Diversity granted the writ to force EPA to do something that the D.C. Circuit told it to do […]
The D.C. Circuit did not release new opinions during the week of October 17. There were oral arguments in cases that we’ll follow at D.C. Circuit Review—Reviewed, including litigation over Exemption 4 to FOIA. But that’s not the biggest or most interesting news from last week at the D.C. Circuit. To my mind, the highlight […]
It’s not every day that every judge on the D.C. Circuit gets sued. And so, if nothing else, Klayman v. Rao was unusual. In that case, the plaintiff sued not only two D.C. District Court judges but also “all” – all! – “members of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia […]
Last week, a sequel led the box office at 333 Constitution Ave., NW. With a script by Judge Millett, it featured the FCC, a star of administrative law opinions at the D.C. Circuit. While Northstar Wireless, LLC v. FCC did not break new ground, those looking for the comfort of the familiar will find something […]
Last week, and for the second week in a row, the D.C. Circuit issued no opinions. We’re still expecting a busy May here at D.C. Circuit Review – Reviewed, so stay tuned. Still, there’s something to say about several cases argued last week. The oral argument in K.O. v. Sessions showed the skepticism with which […]
“So, you’re a rocket scientist?” That question, put by investment banker Jared Cohen to Peter Sullivan, an associate who has figured out that the bank they both work for is dangling on the precipice of collapse, is among the most memorable from the 2011 film Margin Call. Sullivan’s response? “I was, yeah,” but “the money […]
It was bound to happen, wasn’t it? On December 8, 2017, my co-blogger Aaron Nielson reported in D.C. Circuit Review – Reviewed on a speech given by Judge Randolph at the Center for the Study of the Administrative State. Last week Judge Randolph cited Aaron’s post for the first-ever D.C. Circuit citation to D.C. Circuit […]
Last week the D.C. Circuit published six opinions in an early celebration of the new year. The FAA, Amtrak, and arbitration clauses all made appearances in a set of fact-bound opinions with few precedential highlights. I’ve read them all so you don’t have to. For readers of this blog, last week’s highlights included administrative law […]
The D.C. Circuit published only one opinion this week, resolving a long-running suit that had become moot. The Court also announced that it will reopen for in-person arguments on December 1, 2021. Court watchers can find the protocols here. Members of the general public won’t be allowed to attend in-person, but can watch arguments on […]
While this is my first post for D.C. Circuit Review – Reviewed, I am happy to return to blogging at Notice & Comment and to be part of the team keeping you up to date when opinions drop — and when they don’t. This week they didn’t. But the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument in […]
Administrative law doctrine and scholarship has traditionally treated agencies as unitary entities and focused upon the proper allocation of authority among agencies, the President, Congress, and the courts. Recently, however, scholars have begun to unlock the “black box” of agency design to identify and evaluate the ways in which administrative law rules allocate decisionmaking authority […]
On March 30th, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in United States Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes Co., Inc. The question presented concerns “final agency action”: Is the Army Corps’ determination that the Clean Water Act applies to waters on private land “final agency action” reviewable under the Administrative Procedure Act? According to […]
Over at PrawfsBlawg Jay Wexler explains that Boston University School of Law has made Administrative Law part of the required 1L curriculum. This decision, and reactions to it, have me thinking about where and when we offer Administrative Law to law students and what we teach them when we do. I’ve just finished another semester […]
Sometimes a gridlocked Congress means that an energized President and ambitious state lawmakers compete to solve the Nation’s social problems. But this competition may not make for innovative solutions. Instead, it may make more for more gridlock. Consider Texas v. United States. There a cadre of states have sued to stop President Obama’s deferred action […]
This post’s about a puzzling opinion from the D.C. Circuit. The puzzle has to do with the Chevron two step and legislative history. This puzzle’s important, and not just for King v. Burwell. In Council for Urological Interests v. Burwell (CUI), published last week and available here, the D.C. Circuit shuffled between one view and another […]