American Legion v. American Humanist Assn.
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in American Legion v. American Humanist Assn. and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of American Legion v. American Humanist Assn..
The Supreme Court vacated and remanded the decision of the Court of Appeals in the case involving PDR's unsolicited fax advertisement. The Court identified two preliminary questions regarding the binding nature of the FCC order and PDR's opportunity for judicial review. The case was remanded for further consideration of these issues.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in American Legion v. American Humanist Assn..
The Court held that the judgment of the Court of Appeals is vacated and the case is remanded for further consideration of preliminary issues.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in American Legion v. American Humanist Assn.. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
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Why Administrative Law is relevant to American Legion v. American Humanist Assn.
The case involves the interpretation of an FCC order and whether it binds lower courts, which is a question of administrative law.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The extent to which the 2006 FCC order binds the lower courts may depend on the resolution of two preliminary sets of questions that were not aired before the Court of Appeals.
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Why Judicial Review is relevant to American Legion v. American Humanist Assn.
The case discusses the ability of courts to review and potentially invalidate agency orders, which is a core aspect of judicial review.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)If the order is the equivalent of an 'interpretive rule,' it may not be binding on a district court, and a district court therefore may not be required to adhere to it.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in American Legion v. American Humanist Assn. that support the summary and concepts above.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is vacated, and the case is remanded for that court to consider these preliminary issues.
First, is the order the equivalent of a 'legislative rule,' which is 'issued by an agency pursuant to statutory authority' and has the 'force and effect of law'?
Second, did PDR have a 'prior' and 'adequate' opportunity to seek judicial review of the order?
