Fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history
Now celebrating our eleventh 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. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
City of Chicago v. Whitaker
In City of Chicago v. Whitaker, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 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 Fifth Circuit
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. All American Check Cashing, Inc.
In Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. All American Check Cashing, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is considering a constitutional challenge to the leadership structure of the Consumer Financial Protection...
February 21, 2019
The Supreme Court May Not Save the President This Time
Even if one accepts that there’s a national emergency, the President still has to show...
February 20, 2019
Clarence Thomas Resumes a Quixotic Campaign, and Gets a Gorsuch Nod
Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with the outcome Wednesday in the excessive-fines case “Timbs v. Indiana.”...
U.S. Supreme Court
Timbs v. Indiana
In Timbs v. Indiana, the Supreme Court considered whether state governments must comply with the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “excessive fines.”
February 20, 2019
RELEASE: Victory For The Constitution: Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Protections Apply to States
“Today marks a milestone in the 228-year history of the Bill of Rights.” — CAC...
CAC on Twitter
#DYK President Bill Clinton revealed in the @KUT radio doc “Rediscovering Barbara Jordan” that he considered nominating Barbara Jordan to #SCOTUS, but decided against it due to her ailing health. Learn more about her life: https://t.co/DmigEw5oWy #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/i9OrDo3mTD
12:34AM – February 22, 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 of Chicago v. Whitaker
In City of Chicago v. Whitaker, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is considering whether the United States Attorney General can impose funding conditions on local…Read MoreConsumer Financial Protection Bureau v. All American Check Cashing, Inc.
In Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. All American Check Cashing, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is considering a constitutional challenge to the leadership structure…Read MoreTimbs v. Indiana
In Timbs v. Indiana, the Supreme Court considered whether state governments must comply with the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “excessive fines.”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.