Case Updates

Victory: Ninth Circuit rejects race-exclusive vote in Guam

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously ruled that a planned plebiscite by Guam cannot go forward so long as it limits voting to “native inhabitants” of Guam.  The panel ruled that such an “impermissible racial classification” violates the Fifteenth Amendment of the

Wanted: Director of Litigation

CIR is seeking an experienced and proactive Director of Litigation to oversee new case development.  This person will develop litigation strategy in service of CIR’s mission, identify specific opportunities for litigation, and engage potential plaintiffs.  The Director of Litigation will report directly to the President and will work closely

CIR Files for Summary Judgment in Free Speech Case

On July 11, CIR filed a motion for partial summary judgment on behalf of New York civil servant Salvatore Davi.  After months of discovery, including depositions of numerous New York officials and review of thousands of documents, the record demonstrates that Davi was engaged in a private, after-hours discussion on

CIR Defends Homeowner Fined for Telling the Truth

[Update: Petition Denied 10-7-19]

On May 16, 2019 CIR filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the US Supreme Court asking it to review a decision of the Iowa Supreme Court holding a landlord liable for housing discrimination for truthfully informing a tenant the reason for her lawful eviction. 

Teresa Seeberger

Guam Court Awards Davis Attorney’s Fees

Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood of the District Court of Guam has awarded $947,717 to Dave Davis for the costs incurred by Gibson Dunn, CIR and the Election Law Center in his lawsuit against Guam’s unconstitutional race-based plebiscite. Despite objections from Guam’s Attorney General, who argued that Davis should not be reimbursed

Supreme Court Remands Class Action Challenge

The Supreme Court today remanded Frank v. Gaos to the Ninth Circuit after determining there were still questions about whether or not the named plaintiffs have standing to challenge the settlement at issue. The standing question has followed the plaintiffs throughout this litigation, and was further complicated by the Supreme

CIR Defends Free Speech In Class Actions Case

The Center for Individual Rights recently filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to hear Perryman v. Romero and act to defend the First Amendment rights of class action plaintiffs. In Perryman, class action plaintiffs who were the victims of consumer fraud are challenging a $12.5 million settlement, the

New York Officials Silence Public Employees

The age of online shaming and political correctness isn’t going away. Many people have been “de-platformed” from social media sites, kicked off college campuses, and fired from their jobs for speech. Some of these victims of public shaming are public figures and professional provocateurs. But many are average everyday citizens

Rebecca Friedrichs On “Standing Up To Goliath”

Former CIR plaintiff and California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs has told the inside story of her decades long struggle against teachers unions in her new book, Standing Up to Goliath: Battling State and National Teachers’ Unions for the Heart and Soul of Our Kids and Country.

For twenty-eight years, Friedrichs served

Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Class Actions Case

On October 31st, The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Frank v. Gaos, a case in which CIR filed a supporting (amicus) brief. At issue in Gaos is the abusive  use of a feature of some class action settlements, known as cy pres awards, in which lower courts award funds