In Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, the Supreme Court will decide whether the government can moot a civil rights case by rescinding its unconstitutional policy after being sued, even though the plaintiff seeks nominal damages for a past, completed constitutional injury—in this case, a college student’s First Amendment right to speak freely on campus. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, uniquely among the federal courts, held that the student’s case was moot because the college changed its unconstitutional “speech zone” policy, and the student did not claim any monetary injury.
In our friend-of-the-court brief, PLF and PLF clients Delaney Wysingle, Rentberry, Inc., Luis Ramirez, Michael Jackson, Tory Smith, and Jillian Ostrewich argue that the Supreme Court should reverse the Eleventh Circuit’s decision to hold that proof of completed, past constitutional violations always justifies an award of nominal damages and prevent dismissal of a case for mootness.
PLF regularly participates as amicus curiae, or friend of the court, in cases brought by others. This supplements our direct representation cases by providing judges with unique, strategic, and helpful arguments to consider when crafting their opinions in related cases