Fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history
Now celebrating our tenth year, 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. Supreme Court
Gamble v. United States
In Gamble v. United States, the Supreme Court is considering whether the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits any person from being prosecuted for the same offense more than once, bars a...
U.S. Supreme Court
Timbs v. Indiana
In Timbs v. Indiana, the Supreme Court is considering whether state governments must comply with the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “excessive fines.”
U.S. Supreme Court
Nieves v. Bartlett
In Nieves v. Bartlett, the Supreme Court is considering whether people who allege they were arrested in retaliation for their speech, in violation of the First Amendment, are prevented from seeking damages for that violation...
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
Gilmore v. Jones, et al.
Protecting civil discourse from harmful conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
In Re: Grand Jury Investigation
In In Re: Grand Jury Investigation, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will decide whether the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller by Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was consistent with...
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, et al v. Trump
In Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) v. Trump, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is being asked to consider whether plaintiffs have standing to sue President Trump for violating both...
CAC on Twitter
For years, @Profepps has been a one-person idea factory in helping the public understand what the Constitution means through consistently erudite, must-read examinations of its text, history and values. (Kudos to @TheAtlantic for providing that platform.) https://t.co/8P39LENSsp
4:38PM – October 18, 2018
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.
Gamble v. United States
In Gamble v. United States, the Supreme Court is considering whether the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits any person from being prosecuted for the same offense…Read MoreTimbs v. Indiana
In Timbs v. Indiana, the Supreme Court is considering whether state governments must comply with the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “excessive fines.”Read MoreNieves v. Bartlett
In Nieves v. Bartlett, the Supreme Court is considering whether people who allege they were arrested in retaliation for their speech, in violation of the First Amendment, are prevented from…Read More
From Our Think Tank
ISSUE 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 MoreA Banner Year for Business as the Supreme Court’s Conservative Majority Is Restored
Chief Justice Roberts and his conservative colleagues may see themselves as umpires, but their calls seem to depend on which team is at bat.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.