Fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history
CAC is working in the courts, with elected leaders, and with legal scholars to preserve the rights and freedoms of all Americans, and to protect the integrity of our judiciary.
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Our Latest Work
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
City and County of San Francisco v. Barr; California v. Barr
In City and County of San Francisco v. Barr and California v. Barr, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the United States Attorney General can impose funding conditions on local jurisdictions that receive certain federal...
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. RD Legal Funding, LLC
In Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. RD Legal Funding, LLC, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is considering a constitutional challenge to the leadership structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,...
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
New York v. United States Department of Labor
In New York v. United States Department of Labor, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is considering whether the Department of Labor’s new Rule that would permit individuals and...
U.S. Supreme Court
Comcast Corp. v. National Association of African American–Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc.
In Comcast Corp. v. National Association of African American–Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc., the Supreme Court is considering whether 42 U.S.C. § 1981—which guarantees all persons, regardless of race, the same right to make...
U.S. Supreme Court
Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California; Trump v. NAACP; and McAleenan v. Vidal
In three consolidated cases, Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, Trump v. NAACP, and McAleenan v. Vidal, the Supreme Court is considering whether the Trump Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for...
U.S. Supreme Court
Hernández v. Mesa
In Hernández v. Mesa, the Supreme Court is considering whether a U.S. Border Patrol agent can be sued for monetary compensation for fatally shooting a Mexican teenager across the U.S.-Mexico border in violation of the...
CAC on Twitter
CAC President @ElizabethWydra speaking to @sallykidd on @Hearst stations last Friday about @realDonaldTrump and his #G7Doral decision: "It doesn't matter whether there's a huge profit or it's at cost when you're talking about the Foreign #EmolumentsClause" https://t.co/BvXlWdejB0
9:57PM – October 21, 2019
Issues We Work On
CAC's work addresses many of the most important topics in modern constitutional and federal law.
Our Latest Cases
Great Hall of the Supreme Court of the United States | Phil Roeder, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
CAC pursues a litigation strategy unique among progressive legal organizations by relying on the Constitution’s text and history. Our powerful amicus briefs provide invaluable arguments to Supreme Court Justices, legal scholars, and fellow advocates. Our clients include current and former bipartisan Members of Congress, state and local officials, law professors, and various nonprofit organizations. CAC’s efforts help to secure important legal victories in the Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and state supreme courts.
City and County of San Francisco v. Barr; California v. Barr
In City and County of San Francisco v. Barr and California v. Barr, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the United States Attorney General can impose funding conditions on local…Read MoreConsumer Financial Protection Bureau v. RD Legal Funding, LLC
In Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. RD Legal Funding, LLC, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is considering a constitutional challenge to the leadership structure of…Read MoreNew York v. United States Department of Labor
In New York v. United States Department of Labor, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is considering whether the Department of Labor’s new Rule…Read More
From Our Think Tank
ISSUE BRIEF: The Historical and Legal Basis for the Exercise of Congressional Oversight Authority
With the recent change in leadership of the House of Representatives following the 2018 midterm elections, there has been considerable discussion about what role the 116th Congress will play in…Read MoreISSUE BRIEF: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh: Will He Respect The Whole Constitution?
In announcing Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, President Trump billed him as a jurist who will enforce the Constitution as written. Luminaries of the conservative legal movement…Read MoreISSUE BRIEF: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh: Will He Be Another Reliable Vote for Big Business?
After President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement, the White House “immediately played up [Judge Kavanaugh’s] pro-business, anti-regulation record.” In an…Read More
The result of the Fifteenth Amendment | Library of Congress (Public Domain)
CAC produces scholarship showing that the Constitution’s text and history command progressive results. We publish comprehensive accounts of some of the most important and contentious topics in modern constitutional and federal law through issue briefs, white papers, insights, and our think tank series. Our legal experts also inform public discussion around these topics by giving written and oral testimony in congressional committee hearings.