Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has the final say on interpreting the Constitution and laws that affect the legal rights of women. We’re working to confirm Justices who understand the impact of the law on the lives of women and their families and whose experiences and perspectives will add diversity to the Court.

Highlights

Fact Sheet | Supreme Court Preview: 2012-2013 Term

October 1, 2012

This fact sheet previews important cases affecting women in the 2012-2013 Supreme Court Term.

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Fact Sheet | The Supreme Court's Decision in Fisher v. UT Austin will be Particularly Important for Women of Color

October 3, 2012

In October 2012, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin to decide whether UT Austin may consider race as a factor in admissions in addition to their race-neutral Top Ten Percent Plan.  This fact sheet explains how the Court's decisions will potentially impact on women of color.

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Fact Sheet | Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk: An Important Case for Low-Wage Women Workers and the Future of the Fair Labor Standards Act

November 2, 2012

In October 2012, the Center filed an Amicus brief in Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk.  This fact sheet explains the case's importance and potential impact on low-wage women workers.

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Fact Sheet | Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor: The Supreme Court Should Presume Laws Discriminating On the Basis of Sexual Orientation are Unconstitutional

March 25, 2013

This term, the Supreme Court will decide United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry. Windsor challenges Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), which prohibits the federal government from recognizing marriages between same-sex couples, and Hollingsworth challenges the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment that revoked same-sex couples’ right to marry in that state.  This fact sheet explains why Section 3 of DOMA and Proposition 8 should be subjected to heightened scrutiny under the Constitution and struck down.

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More Resources

Fact Sheet | Justice Stevens’ Legacy for Women’s Legal Rights

April 15, 2010

 

During the nearly 35 years that Justice Stevens sat on the Supreme Court, he played a crucial role in ensuring that women have legal rights and protections that have enriched not only women’s lives but the fabric of our country. When Justice Stevens joined the Court in 1975, women faced blatant discrimination in all walks of life – state statutes gave married men the right to control marital property, public universities like the Virginia Military Institute excluded women as unfit, and women were eliminated from juries on the basis of gender. Justice Stevens’ tenure on the Court spanned many landmark decisions affecting critical legal rights for women, including protections against sex discrimination and sexual harassment at work and at school, important health and safety regulations, and fundamental constitutional rights to privacy and equal protection under law.

 

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Fact Sheet | The Supreme Court: Every Vote Counts

March 12, 2010

For three decades, the Supreme Court’s interpretations of constitutional principles and federal statutes have played a vital role in protecting the rights of women to privacy, to equal protection of the laws, to basic health and safety, and to freedom from discrimination in the workplace and in school. This fact sheet details the impact that the Suprem Court's decisions will have on women, emphasizing that each decision is an important one.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | Amicus Brief: Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee

August 29, 2009

In this brief, the National Women’s Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union urged the Supreme Court to determine that the existence of a remedy for sex discrimination claims under Title IX did not displace the ability to enforce constitutional claims for sex discrimination through a suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.  In its 2009 opinion in Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee, the Supreme Court agreed that a plaintiff alleging sex discrimination in public education can bring both Title IX and § 1983 claims.

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Reports & Toolkits | The Record of Judge Sonia Sotomayor on Critical Legal Rights for Women: Federal Anti-Discrimination Protections: Title VII Disparate Treatment Cases

July 17, 2009

Judge Sotomayor's Legal Record: Federal Anti-Discrimination Protections

July 2009

Title VII Disparate Treatment Cases

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Reports & Toolkits | The Record of Judge Sonia Sotomayor on Critical Legal Rights for Women: Other Issues That Have an Impact on Women's Rights

July 17, 2009

Judge Sotomayor's Legal Record: Other Issues That Have an Impact on Women's Rights

July 2009

With the limited exceptions discussed here, Judge Sotomayor was not asked about the following issues in her judicial record at her confirmation hearing.

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