As the October 2024 Term drew to a close, the Supreme Court issued several landmark decisions that reshaped core doctrines in administrative law, standing, remedies, and constitutional structure. This second installment of our final edition of the October 2024 Term highlights the Court's most consequential business rulings. From the limits of judicial power to the reach of federal regulation, these decisions carry significant implications for litigants, agencies, and regulated industries alike:
- Trump v. CASA, Inc.: The Court held 6-3 that federal district courts lack the authority to issue universal (nationwide) injunctions, finding such remedies inconsistent with the Judiciary Act of 1789 and traditional equitable practice.
- FCC v. Consumers' Research: In a 6-3 decision, the Court upheld the FCC's Universal Service Program, rejecting a nondelegation challenge and ruling that Congress provided an intelligible principle for administering the fund.
- Diamond Alternative Energy v. EPA: The Court ruled 7-2 that fuel producers had standing to challenge the EPA's approval of California's zero-emissions vehicle regulations, relying on "commonsense economic realities" to establish redressability.
- Oklahoma v. the EPA / PacifiCorp v. the EPA: The Court held 6-2 that EPA's disapproval of individual state air quality plans must be challenged in regional circuit courts, not the D.C. Circuit, emphasizing that the substance—not the publication format—determines venue.
- Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co.: In a 7-2 decision, the Court found that vape retailers are "adversely affected" under the Tobacco Control Act and therefore have standing to petition for judicial review in their home circuit.
- BLOM Bank SAL v. Honickman: The Court unanimously reaffirmed the high threshold for reopening final judgments under Rule 60(b)(6), emphasizing that amendment requests after judgment must meet the "extraordinary circumstances" standard before Rule 15(a) considerations can apply.
- Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees: The Court stayed the nationwide injunction blocking the government from carrying out President Trump's executive order to reign in the federal government's size through large-scale workforce reductions.
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