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This case asks the Supreme Court to discern the scope of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (“AEA”) and determine whether the federal law preempts a state ban on uranium mining. The AEA regulates nuclear materials and facilities in order to promote the safe development and use of atomic energy. Virginia Uranium contends that the AEA preempts a Virginia state ban on uranium mining. The Commonwealth of Virginia counters that the AEA is silent on uranium deposits situated on nonfederal land. The outcome of this case has broad implications for the United States’ nuclear industry, national security, and national economy, as well as the future of the preemption doctrine.

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The Supreme Court will decide how courts should treat agreements delegating gateway questions of arbitrability to arbitrators—questions of whether an arbitrator has the authority to hear a case. Henry Schein, Inc. (“Henry Schein”) argues that, to honor such an agreement, the court must allow the arbitrator to decide gateway questions of arbitrability, even if the case clearly belongs in the court.  In support of their argument, Henry Schein contends that under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), courts must allow arbitrators to decide the merits of claims delegated to arbitrators by contract, even if the merits are not arguable. Archer and White Sales, Inc. (“Archer and White”) counters that if a claim to arbitrability is “wholly groundless,” the court does not have to make the arbitrator evaluate the claim. Archer and White assert that the FAA does not ask courts to compel arbitration when plaintiffs file claims where they clearly belong—in court. From a policy perspective, this case asks the Court to balance the FAA’s strong policy in favor of arbitration with the need to protect the parties to an arbitration clause from arbitration proceedings they did not agree to.

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Lamps Plus, Inc. (“Lamps Plus”) and Frank Varela (“Varela”) executed an arbitration agreement which contained a clause waiving Varela’s right to sue his employer or institute any other civil action or proceeding concerning his employment at Lamps Plus. After a data breach caused by an internet phishing incident, Varela sued Lamps Plus alleging negligence, breach of contract, and invasion of privacy. Lamps Plus moved to compel arbitration of Varela’s individual claims, but the district court decided to dismiss Varela’s claims without prejudice and to compel class arbitration of the claims. Lamps Plus appealed, arguing that, as the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) requires a contractual basis showing the parties’ intent to arbitrate class actions, the court could not read in an agreement to class arbitration based on language relating to personal disputes. Further, the company argues that even if the agreement is ambiguous as to that intent, Supreme Court precedent indicates that courts must resolve such ambiguity in favor of arbitration. Varela counters that issues of jurisdiction and standing prevent the Supreme Court from deciding this case and that, even if the Court were to examine the case on the merits, California contract-law interpretive principles used by the lower court were neutral, applied properly, and, thus, permissible. The Supreme Court’s decision has implications for the employment sector and will likely influence the decision of employers to expressly exclude class actions from future arbitration agreements to maintain the efficiency and informality of arbitration.

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In this case, the Supreme Court will determine whether the Yakama Treaty of 1855 (“the Treaty”), which guarantees to the Yakama Indians the right to travel upon Washington public highways, creates a right for tribal members to avoid the Washington State fuel tax, which imposes a tax on fuels used for the propulsion of motor vehicles on Washington highways. Petitioner Washington State Department of Licensing (“the State”) argues that the tax applies because the Treaty does not expressly preempt the tax and because the tax attaches to the possession of fuel, not the transportation of fuel. Respondent Cougar Den, Inc. contends that, according to well-established rules of Indian treaty interpretation, the Treaty preempts the fuel tax and, further, the tax is an importation tax necessarily implicating the Yakama Indians right to travel. From a policy perspective, the Court’s decision in this case will have potential implications on Washington tax revenues, environmental concerns, and competitiveness in the fuel market.

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The Supreme Court will decide the scope and validity of appeal waivers balanced against a defendant’s right to file an appeal. Gilberto Garza, Jr. contends that Roe v. Flores-Ortega supports the proposition that there is a presumption of prejudice when an attorney fails to file an appeal when instructed, even if the defendant previously signed an appeal waiver and underlying plea bargain. The State of Idaho counters that Flores-Ortega does not create a blanket rule that an attorney’s failure to file prejudices a defendant because the defendant already waived their right and risks additional criminal charges in breaching their plea bargain agreement. The outcome of this case will affect States that use appeal waivers to prevent frivolous appeals in order to promote judicial efficiency and will determine whether an appeal waiver completely bars a defendant from seeking an appeal.  

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The Supreme Court will determine whether the International Organizations Immunities Act (“IOIA”) confers immunity on the commercial activities of international organizations now that foreign governments are no longer afforded that immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”). The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held, and the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”) now argues, that the IOIA entitles international organizations to virtually absolute immunity and does not incorporate subsequent developments in foreign immunity law that have restricted immunity for commercial acts. However, a group of fishermen and farmers who were harmed by an IFC funded power plant in India counter that the IOIA is meant to track the development of sovereign immunity law, as codified in the FSIA, which does not currently extend to commercial acts. The Court’s decision in this case will have implications for jurisdiction over international organizations, international and domestic litigation, and international commercial activity.

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Cy press settlements allow courts to distribute portions of class action settlement funds to outside beneficiaries—such as non-profit organizations—for the indirect benefit of the class.  This case asks the Supreme Court to decide whether lower courts violated Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e) when they certified a cy pres settlement, which did not award settlement money to class members, in a class action against Google. Petitioner and class member Theodore H. Frank asserts that the courts should not have certified the cy pres class settlement because it was not “fair, reasonable, and adequate” in the meaning of Rule 23(e), given that it did not compensate class members for their injuries. Frank argues that the attorney fees of class counsel were disproportionate given that class members received no return and contends that cy pres awards generate potential conflicts between interests of class counsel and their clients. Finally, Frank contends that in the case at hand, class counsel had conflicts with the beneficiaries of the cy pres settlement. Other class members, such as Paloma Gaos, and Google respond that the cy pres settlement was “fair, reasonable, and adequate,” as distributing settlement money to each class member would be infeasible. Google and Gaos further indicate that the attorney fees were court-approved and state that Frank does not actually contest the award of attorneys’ fees. Finally, Google and Gaos assert that class counsel had no conflicts with the beneficiaries of the cy pres settlement, as the beneficiaries were chosen on their own merits. The outcome of this case has large implications for class action members, their freedom of speech, their due process rights, and to the awarding of cy pres settlements.

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The Federal Impact Aid Act provides federal funding to school districts located on Indian Reservations, military bases, or land with federal presence. Under the Act, the Secretary of Education can divert federal aid from the district back to the state if it determines that the state's school district operational funding is “equalized.” After determining that New Mexico's funding for the year 1999-2000 was equalized, the Secretary allowed the state to withhold federal subsidies from certain districts. The Zuni Public School District claims that the Secretary's formula for determining whether a school district receives federal subsidies conflicts with the plain meaning of the Act. In resolving this issue, the Supreme Court will clarify the scope of Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837 (1984), the seminal case governing agency interpretations of enabling legislation.

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The Supreme Court will decide whether requiring objecting religious non-profit organizations to sign a waiver allowing employees to receive health coverage, including contraception and abortion-inducing drugs from third parties, violates their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“RFRA”). Petitioners, a group of Catholic non-profits (the “Catholic groups”), argue that the requirement forces them to offer health coverage to their employees in a manner inconsistent with the Catholic groups’ faith. The Catholic groups further argue that the requirement has been imposed without proof that the mandated coverage cannot be achieved through alternative means. Sylvia Burwell, the secretary of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, counter that the objections of these religious organizations are not a cognizable burden under RFRA. Furthermore, their refusing to sign the waiver will frustrate the government’s compelling interest in protecting the health of all women, including female employees of Catholic groups. This decision could expand the religious exemption to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, and will further define the limits of the First Amendment protections afforded under RFRA. 

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The U.S. Embassy refused to record the place of birth of Petitioner Menachem Zivotofsky as “Jerusalem, Israel” in accordance with U.S. foreign policy to refrain from expressing an official view on whether Jerusalem is part of Israel. His parents filed suit on his behalf, demanding that the State Department comply with Section 214 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which requires the State Department to record the place of birth of a U.S. citizen born in Jerusalem as Israel, if the child’s legal guardians so request. The district court held that the judiciary has no authority to order the executive branch to change its foreign policy under the political question doctrine; the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed this holding. Petitioner Zivotofsky (through his parents) argues that the political question doctrine does not apply because the case involves a question of statutory interpretation. Secretary of State Clinton contends that Section 214 is unconstitutional because Congress has no authority to recognize foreign sovereigns. The Supreme Court’s decision in this case will clarify the political question doctrine, and may shed light on the issue of separation of powers among the judicial, legislative, and executive branches.

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