Photo: Diego Radzinschi
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday added six new casesto the fall term's argument docket, including New Jersey'schallenge to a federal ban on sportsbetting at casinos and racetracks, a terrorvictim's attempt to attach Iranian assets, and shareholder effortsto bring certain securities claims in state courts.
The justices now have a total of 28 cases (countingconsolidated cases as one) scheduled for the new term, which beginson Oct. 2. They likely will add more cases after a conference inSeptember when they cull through the thousands of petitions filedthroughout the summer.
In the New Jersey sports betting challenge, two formerU.S. solicitors general face off: Theodore Olson of Gibson, Dunn& Crutcher represents Gov. Chris Christie in Christie v.NCAA, and Kirkland & Ellis partner Paul Clement is counselto the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That case isconsolidated with New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen'sAssociation v. NCAA. The association's counsel is RonaldRiccio of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter in Morristown,New Jersey.
New Jersey challenges the constitutionality of thefederal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, whichprohibits states from, among other things, licensing, orauthorizing by law or compact, gambling on sporting events. Thelaw also prohibits anyone from sponsoring, operating, advertisingor promoting sports gambling schemes pursuant to state law.
The justices in Rubin v. Islamic Republic ofIran will examine a circuit split over whether, under a 2008amendment to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, U.S. terrorvictims have a freestanding, independent right to enforce judgmentsagainst state sponsors of terrorism regardless of whether theassets they want to seize would otherwise be shielded under theact. Jeffrey Lamken of Washington's Molo Lamken representsIran.
In the securities case, Cyan v. Beaver CountyEmployees Retirement Fund, Cyan Inc. challenges a Californiastate court decision that permitted a securities class action overalleged misrepresentations in a 2013 initial public offering toproceed in state court. Cyan's high court counsel is Boris Feldmanof Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Palo Alto, California,office. The employees fund is represented by Andrew Love of RobbinsGeller Rudman & Dowd in San Francisco.
The two other grants were PEM Entities v.Levin, a bankruptcy challenge, and Marinello v. UnitedStates, a criminal case involving obstruction of federal taxlaws.
The justices on Tuesday also announced new circuitassignments in order to bring Justice Neil Gorsuch into themix.