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. Supreme Court
New York, et al. vs. U.S. Department of Commerce, et al.
In New York, et al. vs. U.S. Department of Commerce, et al., the Supreme Court is considering whether the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census violates the Constitution or federal law.
U.S. Supreme Court
McDonough v. Smith
In McDonough v. Smith, the Supreme Court is considering when the statute of limitations begins to run on a constitutional claim that a state official used fabricated evidence to initiate and continue a criminal prosecution.
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. Supreme Court
Rucho v. Common Cause; Lamone v. Benisek
In Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek, the Supreme Court is considering whether partisan gerrymandering by the states in the drawing of congressional districts violates the Elections Clause, the First Amendment, or the...
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...
March 11, 2019
Liberals take another look at court-packing as way to control Supreme Court (if they win in 2020)
The idea that the Supreme Court should be increased beyond its current nine seats, popularly...
CAC on Twitter
On August 4, 1998, Susan Oki Mollway became the first #AsianAmerican woman to serve as a federal judge after being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii—where she currently serves as Senior Judge—by President Bill Clinton. #WomensHistoryMonth2019 https://t.co/RpOe6GzzkV
3:21PM – March 16, 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.
New York, et al. vs. U.S. Department of Commerce, et al.
In New York, et al. vs. U.S. Department of Commerce, et al., the Supreme Court is considering whether the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census violates the…Read MoreMcDonough v. Smith
In McDonough v. Smith, the Supreme Court is considering when the statute of limitations begins to run on a constitutional claim that a state official used fabricated evidence to initiate…Read MoreCity 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 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.