Massachusetts
League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump
On March 31, 2026, President Trump issued a sweeping Executive Order titled "Ensuring Citizen Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections," seeking once again to seize control of election administration from Congress and the states. The Order directs federal agencies to compile lists of U.S. citizens and transmit them to states before every election, directs the U.S. Postal Service -- an independent agency established by Congress -- to create a list of "approved" mail voters, and instructs USPS to refuse to deliver ballots from voters not on that federally created list. If implemented, the Order would threaten the ability of millions of eligible citizens to cast their ballots, particularly military members, overseas citizens, the elderly, recently naturalized citizens, and voters with disabilities who rely on mail voting.
Status: Ongoing
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U.S. Supreme Court
Feb 2026
Immigrants' Rights
Barbara v. Donald J. Trump
President Trump is attempting to undermine the promise of birthright citizenship to children born on U.S. soil. But the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµand partners are fighting to protect the rights of citizens that are plainly stated in the Constitution, federal statute, and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court for more than a century. We’re arguing against the Trump administration in the Supreme Court and are confident we will win.
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23 Massachusetts Cases
Massachusetts Supreme Court
Nov 2025
Criminal Law Reform
Committee for Public Counsel Services v. Middlesex and Suffolk District Courts
For more than two decades, criminal defendants in Massachusetts have experienced a recurring counsel crisis, with defendants periodically going unrepresented due to low attorney compensation rates. Despite many opportunities, the Legislature has failed to raise rates high enough to remedy the constitutional violation. At present, the compensation rate for district court cases is $75 per hour. Consequently, in a case brought by the Committee for Public Counsel Services—the Massachusetts public defender agency—the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof Massachusetts and the ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative filed an amicus brief urging the Court to hold that the statute setting attorney compensation rates is unconstitutional. This case has important implications for the right to counsel and access to justice in Massachusetts.
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Massachusetts Supreme Court
Nov 2025
Criminal Law Reform
Committee for Public Counsel Services v. Middlesex and Suffolk District Courts
For more than two decades, criminal defendants in Massachusetts have experienced a recurring counsel crisis, with defendants periodically going unrepresented due to low attorney compensation rates. Despite many opportunities, the Legislature has failed to raise rates high enough to remedy the constitutional violation. At present, the compensation rate for district court cases is $75 per hour. Consequently, in a case brought by the Committee for Public Counsel Services—the Massachusetts public defender agency—the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof Massachusetts and the ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative filed an amicus brief urging the Court to hold that the statute setting attorney compensation rates is unconstitutional. This case has important implications for the right to counsel and access to justice in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts
Jun 2025
Free Speech
President and Fellows of Harvard College v. US Department of Health and Human Services
The federal government threatened to withhold billions of dollars in research funding from Harvard University after the school refused to adopt the government’s preferred ideological approach to who it admits to study, who it employs to teach, and what classes and other programs it offers. The ACLU, ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof Massachusetts, and a diverse group of other legal advocacy organizations filed an amicus brief arguing that this is retaliation, coercion, and ideological bullying in violation of the First Amendment.
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Massachusetts
Jun 2025
Free Speech
President and Fellows of Harvard College v. US Department of Health and Human Services
The federal government threatened to withhold billions of dollars in research funding from Harvard University after the school refused to adopt the government’s preferred ideological approach to who it admits to study, who it employs to teach, and what classes and other programs it offers. The ACLU, ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof Massachusetts, and a diverse group of other legal advocacy organizations filed an amicus brief arguing that this is retaliation, coercion, and ideological bullying in violation of the First Amendment.
U.S. Supreme Court
May 2025
Civil Liberties
APHA v. NIH
APHA v. NIH is a legal challenge to the unprecedented and ideologically-driven purge of hundreds of biomedical research projects by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Years of research on a wide span of critical health issues has been abruptly cancelled, as have grants and programs designed to address the underrepresentation of racial minorities, women, and economically disadvantaged scientists in the biomedical field.
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U.S. Supreme Court
May 2025
Civil Liberties
APHA v. NIH
APHA v. NIH is a legal challenge to the unprecedented and ideologically-driven purge of hundreds of biomedical research projects by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Years of research on a wide span of critical health issues has been abruptly cancelled, as have grants and programs designed to address the underrepresentation of racial minorities, women, and economically disadvantaged scientists in the biomedical field.
Massachusetts
Apr 2025
Free Speech
Immigrants' Rights
Öztürk v. Trump
Whether someone with a valid visa within the U.S. can be arrested and detained on the basis of their political speech and advocacy.
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Massachusetts
Apr 2025
Free Speech
Immigrants' Rights
Öztürk v. Trump
Whether someone with a valid visa within the U.S. can be arrested and detained on the basis of their political speech and advocacy.
Massachusetts
Mar 2025
Free Speech
Schiff v. Office of Personnel Management
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Massachusetts
Mar 2025
Free Speech