Legal

The Buckeye Institute was joined by the National Federation of Independent Business in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which challenges whether the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service can force commercial fishermen not only to host, house, and feed federal government monitors on their vessels but also force the fishermen to pay the government employees’ salaries. “The Buckeye Institute urges the U.S. Supreme Court to take this case and uphold the rights of the fishermen against these unconstitutional intrusions.”

The Buckeye Institute filed its amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in National Prescription Opiate Litigation, calling on the court to stop the government from using litigation as a means to fund public programs for which the government itself is responsible. “While the lower court’s ruling certainly made for good headlines, awarding half a billion dollars in damages violates the law and creates an unhealthy incentive for governments to address public policy problems by using litigation to tap into the deep pockets of politically unpopular industries.”

The Buckeye Institute filed its amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in In Re Grand Jury, calling on the court to protect attorney-client privilege in the tax context. “The U.S. tax code is so convoluted and complex that many taxpayers understandably need to consult with attorneys to ensure their returns comply with the law.” There is no legitimate justification for treating tax-related legal advice worse than other kinds of legal advice, and this case offers the U.S. Supreme Court an important opportunity to provide much-needed clarity on these matters.