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Trump v. Slaughter (Independent Agencies)

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
25-332 D.D.C. Dec 8, 2025 TBD TBD TBD OT 2025

Issue: (1) Whether the statutory removal protections for members of the Federal Trade Commission violate the separation of powers and, if so, whether Humphrey’s Executor v. United States should be overruled. (2) Whether a federal court may prevent a person’s removal from public office, either through relief at equity or at law.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
09/04/2025Application (25A264) for a stay, submitted to The Chief Justice.
09/05/2025Response to request for administrative stay from respondents Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, et al. filed.
09/08/2025Order entered by The Chief Justice: Upon consideration of the application of counsel for the applicants, it is ordered that the July 17, 2025 order of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, case No. 1:25-cv-909, is hereby stayed pending further order of The Chief Justice or of the Court. It is further ordered that a response to the application be filed on or before Monday, September 15th, 2025, by 4 p.m. (EDT).
09/10/2025Brief amici curiae of Florida, et al. filed.
09/11/2025Brief amicus curiae of Christian Employers Alliance filed.
09/15/2025Response to application from respondent Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, et al. filed.
09/15/2025Brief amicus curiae of TechFreedom filed.
09/15/2025Brief amici curiae of America's Future, et al. filed.
09/15/2025Letter from counsel for petitioner Gwynne A. Wilcox in case No. 25-319 filed.
09/15/2025Letter of Cathy Harris filed.
09/16/2025Reply of applicant Donald J. Trump, et al. filed.
09/22/2025Application (25A264) referred to the Court.
09/22/2025Petition for writ of certiorari before judgment GRANTED. (Detached Opinion)
09/22/2025Application (25A264) for stay presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the Court is granted. The July 17, 2025 order of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 25–cv–909, ECF Doc. 52, is stayed. The application is also treated as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment, and the petition is granted (case No. 25-332). The parties are directed to brief and argue the following questions: (1) Whether the statutory removal protections for members of the Federal Trade Commission violate the separation of powers and, if so, whether Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, 295 U. S. 602 (1935), should be overruled. (2) Whether a federal court may prevent a person’s removal from public office, either through relief at equity or at law. The Clerk is directed to establish a briefing schedule that will allow the case to be argued in the December 2025 argument session. The stay shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court. Justice Kagan, joined by Justice Sotomayor, and Justice Jackson, dissents. (Detached Opinion)
09/29/2025The joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits are to be filed on or before Friday, October 10, 2025. Respondents' brief on the merits is to be filed on or before Friday, November 7, 2025. The reply brief is to be filed on or before Monday, November 24, 2025.
10/10/2025Brief of petitioners Donald J. Trump, et al. filed.
10/10/2025Joint appendix filed.
10/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed.
10/16/2025Brief amicus curiae of Professor Ilan Wurman filed.
10/16/2025Brief amicus curiae of Americans for Prosperity Foundation filed.
10/17/2025SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, December 8, 2025.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Legal Foundation filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Christian Employers Alliance filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Professor Michael T. Morley in support of neither party filed.
10/17/2025Brief amici curiae of Ariana Cortes, et al. filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Landmark Legal Foundation filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Claremont Institute Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of New Civil Liberties Alliance filed.
10/17/2025Brief amici curiae of The Honorable Edwin Meese III, et al. filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Maud Maron in support of neither party filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Cato Institute filed.
10/17/2025Brief amici curiae of America's Future, et al. filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of Cathy Harris in support of neither party filed.
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of America First Legal Foundation filed. (Distributed)
10/17/2025Brief amicus curiae of U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution filed. (Distributed)
10/17/2025Amicus brief of J. Christian Adams not accepted for filing. (November 20, 2025)
10/22/2025Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
10/22/2025CIRCULATED
10/24/2025Record received from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.
10/30/2025Record received from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.
11/07/2025Brief of respondent Rebecca Kelly Slaughter filed. (Distributed)
11/12/2025Brief amici curiae of Administrative and Constitutional Law Professors filed. (Distributed)
11/12/2025Brief amici curiae of Professor Victoria Nourse, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/13/2025Amicus brief of 40 National, State, and Local Consumer, Privacy and Open Markets Groups not accepted for filing. (To be corrected - November 14, 2025)
11/13/2025Brief amici curiae of 40 National, State, and Local Consumer, Privacy and Open Markets Groups filed. (Corrected) (Distributed)
11/13/2025Brief amicus curiae of American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations filed. (Distributed)
11/13/2025Brief amici curiae of Former Members of Multimember Boards and Commissions filed. (Distributed)
11/13/2025Brief amici curiae of Bipartisan Former Commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Todd Harper, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Bipartisan Former Chairs of the Federal Trade Commission filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Professors of Administrative Law, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Open Markets Institute filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Professor Jane Manners filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Public Citizen filed.
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Professor Andrea Scoseria Katz, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Professor Jed Handelsman Shugerman filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Legal Historian Noah A. Rosenblum, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Campaign Legal Center, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Independent Agency Board Members, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Issue One, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Thirteen Retired Federal Judges filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Professor Nicholas R. Bednar, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Colorado, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Gwynne Wilcox filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of The American Antitrust Institute, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of 207 Members of Congress filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Former Senior White House Lawyers, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Patrick J. Borchers, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amici curiae of Former Members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of TechFreedom filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Brief amicus curiae of National Whistleblower Center filed. (Distributed)
11/14/2025Amicus brief of Public Knowledge submitted.
11/24/2025Reply of petitioners Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, et al. filed. (Distributed)