Constitutional Accountability Center Constitutional Accountability Center

Access to Justice

Ensuring that the courthouse doors remain open to all Americans
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Jury | Valerie Keinsley / Indiana Humanities, Flickr

Summary

The Constitution guarantees citizens the ability to vindicate their rights in court. CAC fights to protect that right and ensure that all Americans get their day in an impartial court of law.

Access to Justice in Brief

U.S. Supreme Court | Ken Lund, Flickr

In recent years, the Supreme Court has attempted to close courthouse doors to Americans seeking to vindicate their rights. CAC fights this trend by working to protect access to justice for all.

Featured Case

Access to Justice January 15, 2019

New Prime, Inc. v. Oliveira

Dominic Oliveira worked as a long-haul truck driver for a national trucking company, New Prime, Inc., which he alleges routinely failed to pay him and other drivers the minimum wage to which they were entitled under federal and state law. When Oliveira filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to hold New Prime accountable for this misconduct, the company responded by asking the court to block the suit and enforce an arbitration agreement that it had required Oliveira to sign as part of his employment paperwork. In support of its request, New Prime invoked the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), which generally requires...

Case Timeline

Current
  • The Court issues its decision
  • The Court hears oral arguments
  • CAC files amicus brief