APA Amicus Briefs by Year
Listing in reverse chronological order of APA amicus briefs. Each of the titles below links to a one-page summary. Selected full-text briefs are linked below. Please note that the PDF files may take time to download, as they are very large files.
Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs [Docket No. 10-9646, 10-9647]
Brief Filed: 1/12
Court: US Supreme Court
Year of Decision: Pending
Full-text amicus brief (PDF, 155KB)
Donaldson v. Montana [DA 11-0451]
Brief Filed: 11/11
Court: Montana Supreme Court
Year of Decision: Pending
Full-text amicus brief (PDF, 93KB)
Gill v. Office of Personnel Management [10-2204, 10-2207, 10-2114]
Brief Filed: 11/11
Court: US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Year of Decision: Pending
Full-text amicus brief (PDF, 115KB)
Michigan v. Kowalski [Docket No. 141932]
Brief Filed: 9/11
Court: Michigan Supreme Court
Year of Decision: Pending
Full-text amicus brief (PDF, 126KB)
Perry v. New Hampshire [Docket No. 10-8974]
Brief Filed: 8/11
Court: US Supreme Court
Year of Decision: 2012
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 123KB)
Commonwealth v. Walker [Docket No. 28 EAP 2011]
Brief Filed: 8/11
Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Eastern District
Year of Decision: Pending
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 84KB)
Coble v. Texas [Docket No. 10-1271]
Brief Filed: 5/11
Court: US Supreme Court
Year of Decision: N/A – Certiorari not accepted
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 104KB)
Brown (formerly Schwarzenegger) v. Plata et al [Docket No. 09-1233]
Brief Filed: 11/10
Court: US Supreme Court
Year of Decision: 2011
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 120KB)
Perry v. Schwarzenegger [Docket No. 10-16696]
Brief Filed: 10/10
Court: US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Year of Decision: 2012
Full text amicus brief (PDF, 1.2MB)
Rivera v. Illinois [Docket No. 2-09-1060]
[Appellate Court of Illinois, Second Judicial District/brief filed 7/10] — At issue before the Court is the reliability of a legally voluntary confession in light of new evidence of innocence.
Year of Decision: 2011
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.2MB)
Warney v. New York [Docket No. CA 08 02261] (2011)
[New York State Court of Appeals, Appellate Division, Fourth Department/brief filed 7/10] — At issue is the reliability of a legally voluntary confession in light of new evidence of innocence (“false confessions”).
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 183KB)
Floyd v. Cain [Docket No. 280-729 “C”] (pending)
[Supreme Court of Louisiana/brief filed 5/10] — At issue is the reliability of a legally voluntary confession in light of new evidence of innocence (“false confessions”).
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.3MB)
Planned Parenthood et al. v. Mike Rounds et al. [Docket Nos. 09-3231, 09-3233, and 09-3362] (pending)
[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit/brief submitted but not accepted 4/10] — Addresses the constitutionality of a South Dakota statute that required physicians to warn women considering an abortion that suicide or suicidal ideation are known medical risks of abortion.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 106KB)
In Marquez v. Estate of Garcia [Docket No. B221965] (2010)
[Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District, Division Seven/brief filed 3/10] — Addresses the confidentiality of patient records and the deposition of a psychotherapist who handled a patient’s case.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 3.1MB)
Boseman v. Jarrell [Docket No. 416PA08-2] (2010)
[North Carolina Supreme Court/brief filed 3/10] — Addresses a case in which a conservative advocacy group seeks to invalidate an adoption order by which a biological mother and her lesbian partner documented their family relationship.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.2MB)
Graham v. Florida [Docket No. 08-7412] and Sullivan v. Florida [Docket No. 08-7621] (2010)
[Supreme Court of the United States/brief filed 7/09] — Whether the fundamental principles in the US Supreme Court 2005 decision in Roper v. Simmons that declared the death penalty unconstitutional for juveniles should also be applied to sentences of life without the possibility of parole for those who committed crimes as juveniles.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 155KB)
In re Matter of adoption of X.X.G. and N.R.G. [Docket No. 3D08-3044] (2010)
[District Court of Appeal, Third District, State of Florida/brief filed 6/09] — Addresses a challenge to a Florida statute prohibiting adoption by gay or lesbian persons.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 64KB)
Wright v. Pennsylvania [Docket No. 21 EAP 2008] (2011)
[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania/brief filed 11/08] — Involves the lower courts’ interpretation that the Post Conviction DNA testing statute (which governs when convicted felons can have potentially exonerating DNA tests performed) does not allow access to DNA testing, if there has been a “voluntary” confession in the case.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.3MB)
Varnum v. Brien (2009):
[Iowa Supreme Court/brief filed 5/08] — Addresses a constitutional challenge to Iowa’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 843 KB)
Greenberg v. National Geographic Ent., 533 F.3d 1244 (2008)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit/brief filed 10/07] — Addresses the rights of scholarly publishers to digitize their present and past works.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.5 MB)
In re Marriage Cases, 43 Cal.4th 757 (2008)
[Supreme Court of California/brief filed 9/07] — Whether prohibiting same-sex marriage discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, rather than just imposing disparate burdens on gay people.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 360 KB)
Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health, 289 Conn. 135 (2008)
[Connecticut Supreme Court/brief filed 1/07] — Addresses a constitutional challenge to Connecticut’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2.4 MB)
Panetti v. Quarterman, 127 S.CT. 2842 (2007)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 2/07] — At issue is the appropriate standard for determining the level of mental illness that should preclude execution, as well as the issue of how to define the factors that should be assessed in such a case.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 147 KB)
Bodell v. Superior Court, (unpublished) (2007)
[Court of Appeal of the State of California, 2nd Appellate District/letter in support of cert filed 1/07] — Whether the Superior court may compel the production of psychiatric and medical records upon a mere showing of “relevance” and with no stated compelling public interest.
Read the letter of petition for review (PDF, 365 KB)
In re. R.A. & M.A., 2007 ME 123 (2007)
[Maine Supreme Judicial Court/brief filed 10/06] — Addresses a challenge to the Maine state law barring same-sex couples from legally adopting foster children for whom they are caring.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2 MB)
Conaway v. Deane, 401 Md. 219 (2007)
[Maryland Court of Appeals/brief filed 10/06] — Addresses a constitutional challenge to Maryland’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 3.2 MB)
Parents v. Seattle School District and Meredith v. Jefferson Co. Board of Education, 126 S.Ct 2738 (2007)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 10/06] — The consolidated cases involve voluntary desegregation plans in Kentucky and Seattle K-12 public school systems that use race as a factor in some instances when assigning children to particular schools or programs within schools.
Full-text of amicus brief (PDF, 457 KB)
U.S. v. Fields, 483 F.3d 313 (2007)
[US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit/brief filed 4/05] — Addresses the reliability of expert testimony in a death penalty case.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2.0 MB)
Clark v. Arizona, 548 US 735 (2006)
[U.S. Supreme Court/APA signed onto brief filed 1/06] — At issue is the scope of the constitutional duty of states to allow evidence of sanity to be used as a defense in criminal cases relevant to the intent element of a charged crime.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 141 KB)
Department of Human Services v. Howard, 367 Ark. 55 (2006)
[Supreme Court of Arkansas/brief filed 12/05] — At issue is a challenge to an administrative regulation promulgated by the Arkansas Child Welfare Agency Review Board that prohibits anyone who has a “homosexual” adult household member from providing foster care for children.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 109 KB)
Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning, 455 F.3d 859 (8th Cir. 2006)
[US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit/brief filed 11/05] — Involves a federal challenge to a section of the Nebraska constitution that bans any legal recognition of same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Hernandez v. Robles, 794 N.Y.S.2d 579 (2006)
[New York, Appellate Division, First Department/Brief filed 8/05] — Addresses a constitutional challenge to New York’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 4.2 MB)
Goodman v. Georgia, 546 US 152 (2006)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 7/05] — Addresses whether the American with Disabilities Act applies to conditions under which the disabled are held in state prisons.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 240 KB)
Shields v. Madigan, 820 N.Y.S.2d 890 (2006)
[New York Appellate Division: Second Department/Brief filed 7/05] — Addresses a constitutional challenge to New York’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Samuels v. New York State Department of Health, 811 NYS 2d 136 (2006)
[New York Appellate Division: Third Department/Brief filed 5/05] — Addresses a constitutional challenge to New York’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 281 KB)
Andersen v. King County, 158 Wn.2d 1 (2006)
[Supreme Court of the State of Washington/brief filed 2/05] — Addresses a challenge to the constitutionality of Washington’s statutes limiting the right to marry to opposite-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 496 KB)
Li v. Oregon [95 P.3d 730] (2005)
[Supreme Court of the State of Oregon/brief filed 10/04] — Addresses a challenge to Oregon’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 521 KB)
Lewis v. Harris, 378 N.J. Super 168 (2005)
[Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division/brief filed 10/04] — Whether the New Jersey Constitution compels the State to allow same-sex couples to marry.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 249 KB)
Roper v. Simmons, 125 S.Ct. 1183 (2005)
[US Supreme Court/filed 7/04] — Whether the imposition of the death penalty on an individual who was 17 years old when he committed a murder constitutes “cruel and unusual” punishment, and is thus barred by the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 222 KB)
Faulkner v. National Geographic Enterprises, Inc., 409 F.3d. 26 (2005)
[US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit/brief filed 6/04] — Addresses the rights of scholarly publishers to digitize their present and past works.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 4.3 MB)
Comfort v. Lynn, 418 F.3d 1 (2005)
[US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit/brief filed 6/04] — Addresses a school voluntary desegregation plan in Lynn, Massachusetts that uses race as a factor in assigning children to K-12 schools in the event that they request a school transfer.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Ewing v. Goldstein [120 Cal.App.4th 807] (2004)
[California Supreme Court/letter in support of petition for review filed 9/04] — Addresses review of a decision that extends California’s duty to warn statute from communications from the patient to the therapist to include communications about the patient from a third party.
Read the letter of petition for review (PDF, 112 KB)
Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 and Gratz v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244 (2003)
[U.S. Supreme Court /brief filed 2/18/03] — This case addresses whether the University of Michigan's consideration of race in student admissions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, or 42 U.S.C. 1981.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 217 KB)
Stogner v. California, 539 U.S. 607 (2003)
[U.S. Supreme Court /brief filed 2/18/03] — This case involves the validity of a California statute that retroactively expanded the statute of limitations for certain sex offenses (i.e., the rape and molestation of children.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 307 KB)
Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/16/03] — Addresses the constitutionality of a Texas law that makes sodomy between same-sex couples a crime.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 155 KB)
Sell v. U.S., 539 U.S. 166 (2003)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 12/19/02] — This case addresses whether a criminal defendant should be involuntary medicated for the purpose of restoring the defendant to competency so that he can stand trial.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Boy Scouts of America, National Capital Area Council v. Pool, 809 A.2d 1192 (2002)
[D.C. Court of Appeals/APA brief filed 2/26/02] — Addresses the Boy Scout's claim that the decision of the District of Columbia's Commission on Human Rights that the BSA is subject to DC law against discrimination and violated the law in terminating all relationships with two gay former Eagle Scouts, is contrary to the Supreme Court precedent in Dale v. Boy Scouts of America and infringes on its First Amendment right to freedom of association.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 171 KB)
Brief table of contents (PDF, 149 KB)
Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002)
[US Supreme Court/motion filed 11/19/01 to have McCarver v. North Carolina brief considered in this case] — Addresses the question, "whether the execution of mentally retarded individuals convicted of capital crimes violates the Eighth Amendment."
Jegley v. Picado, 80 S.W.3d 332 (2002)
[Arkansas Supreme Court/brief filed 10/01] — Addresses the constitutionality of an Arkansas law that makes sodomy between same-sex couples a crime.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 78 KB)
In re. Adoption of Luke, 640 N.W.2d 374 (2002)
[Nebraska Supreme Court/APA brief filed 9/01] — This case involves an adoption proceeding commenced by the lesbian partner of a child's natural mother. The case challenges the issue that second-parent adoptions must be denied when the co-parents are gay or lesbian.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 127 KB)
US v. Gomes, 289 F.3d 71 (2002)
[US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit/brief filed 9/01] — Addresses Whether a criminal defendant can be involuntarily medicated in order to restore the defendant to competency
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 8 KB)
Cover page (PDF, 8 KB)
Table of contents (PDF, 18 KB)
McCarver v. North Carolina, 533 U.S. 975 (2001)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 6/8/01] — This case addresses whether the Eighth Amendment's ban against cruel and unusual punishment prohibits the execution of individuals with mental.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 69 KB)
Levy v. Edelhofer (no published decision) (2001)
[Fourth District Court of Appeal, State of California/briefs filed 11/13/00 & 12/4/00] — The case presents the questions of: (1) whether the client/therapist privilege applies to the communications of therapist to the client, (2) whether a court should evaluate communications in therapy to decide whether they are "therapeutic" before deciding whether they are privileged, and (3) whether psychotherapists owe a general duty of care to third parties, or whether psychotherapists owe a general duty of care to their patients' former therapists with whom they have no contractual relationship.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 47 KB)
Ford v. Norton, 107 Cal. Rptr. 2d 776 (2001)
[Court of Appeal of the State of California/brief filed 1/6/00] — The case raises the issue of the scope of psychologists' practice (i.e., whether a clinical psychologist is authorized to order the early release of a patient who is hospitalized involuntarily).
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 559 KB)
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, 530 U.S. 640 (2000)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 3/29/2000] — Whether the Boy Scouts' claim that the recent New Jersey Supreme Court's decision, that the Boy Scouts of America is subject to the State's Law Against Discrimination and violated the law in expelling an assistant scoutmaster because he stated publicly that he is gay, infringes upon its First Amendment right to freedom of association.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 556 KB)
Williamson v. Liptzin, 539 S.E. 2d 313 (2000)
[Court of Appeals of North Carolina/brief filed 2/00] — Whether public policy supports the extension of the law of proximate causation to allow liability in this case concerning negligence by a mental health professional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 130 KB)
Hudgins v. Moore (1999)
[Supreme Court of South Carolina/briefs filed 2/98 and 2/99] — Whether the prosecution could use raw MMPI-A test materials, administered to determine the defendant's competency to stand trial, to argue at trial that the defendant admitted to being a liar.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 196 KB)
Olmstead v. L.C. (1999)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 3/99] — Whether the Americans With Disabilities Act compels a state to provide treatment for mentally disabled patients in a community placement rather than a state mental institution when that is an appropriate treatment option.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1 MB)
Boswell v. Boswell (1998)
[Maryland Court of Appeals/brief filed 7/98] — Whether a gay father may be denied overnight visitation with his children and visitations in the presence of his male partner.
Full text of amicus brief
Delong v. Delong (1998)
[Missouri Supreme Court/brief filed 6/98] — Whether a lesbian mother may be denied custody solely on the basis of her sexual orientation rather than on the basis of what is in the best interests of the child.
Full text of amicus brief
Emerich v. Philadelphia Center for Human Development, Inc. (1998)
[Pennsylvania Supreme Court/brief filed 10/96] — Whether a mental health professional has a duty to warn a third party of a patient's threats to harm the third party and the scope of any such duty
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 356 KB)
Huntoon v. TCI Cablevision (1998)
[US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit/brief filed 7/97 & Colorado Supreme Court/brief filed 2/98] — Whether a neuropsychologist is qualified to testify as to the causation of a head injury.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 323 KB)
People v. Gil (1998)
[New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division/brief filed 7/97] — Whether cognitive research evidence and expert testimony regarding laypersons' beliefs concerning physics was admissible in a murder trial.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 230 KB)
Landers v. Chrysler Corp. (1997)
[Missouri Court of Appeals/brief filed 8/97] — Whether a neuropsychologist is qualified to testify as to the causation of a head injury.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 387 KB)
Schudel v. General Electric (1997)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit/brief filed 7/95] — Whether neuropsychologists are competent to testify on issues pertaining to causation of an "organic" mental condition.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 189 KB)
Campbell v. Sundquist (1996)
[Tennessee Court of Appeals/brief filed 10/95] — Whether a Tennessee "Homosexual Acts" statute prohibiting private sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex violates the Tennessee Constitution's right to privacy.
Full text of amicus brief
Jaffee v. Redmond (1996)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 1/96] — Whether a psychotherapist-patient privilege was recognized under Rule 501 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. The US Supreme Court granted certiorari to review a decision of the Seventh Circuit that recognized the existence of a psychotherapist-patient privilege and held that confidential communications of a police officer with a licensed social worker were protected from compelled disclosure
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1 MB)
Romer v. Evans (1996)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 6/95] — Whether an enacted state constitutional amendment prohibiting the State and all local governmental entities from enacting, adopting or enforcing any law or policy protecting lesbians, gay men and bisexuals from discrimination violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it burdens the fundamental right of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals to seek such legal protections.
Full text of amicus brief
Bottoms v. Bottoms (1995)
[Virginia Court of Appeals/brief filed 11/93 & Virginia Supreme Court/brief filed 12/94] — Whether a lesbian biological mother could be denied custody of her child on the grounds that her sexual orientation rendered her unfit as a parent.
Full text of amicus brief
Equality Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, Inc. v. City of Cincinnati (1995)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit/brief filed 12/94] — Whether an anti-gay rights ballot initiative was constitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 629 KB)
Hertzler v. Hertzler (1995)
[Wyoming Supreme Court/brief filed 12/94] — Whether the "best interests of the child" is served by restricting visitation rights to a minimum level due to a mother's sexual orientation as a lesbian.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 317 KB)
Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) v. University of Washington (1994)
[Washington Supreme Court/brief filed 7/93] — Whether unfunded grant proposals submitted to a federal agency are protected from disclosure by federal preemption and the researcher's First Amendment right of academic freedom.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 173 KB)
Texas v. Morales (1994)
[Texas Court of Appeals/brief filed 1/92 and Texas Supreme Court/brief filed 12/92] — Whether the equal protection and due process components of the Texas Constitution prohibit criminalization of consensual homosexual sodomy among adults in private.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 329 KB)
Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc. (1993)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 4/93] — Whether a sexual harassment plaintiff must prove not only that the conduct complained of would have offended a reasonable victim, and that the plaintiff was in fact offended, but also that the conduct caused the plaintiff to suffer serious psychological injury.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 343 KB)
National Kidney Patient's Association v. Sullivan (1993)
[U.S. Supreme Court brief in support of a petition for certiorari/brief filed 12/92] — Whether health care providers and Medicare beneficiaries may seek judicial review of HCFA regulations without first completing lengthy administrative review process by HCFA.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 234 KB)
Chandler Exterminators v. Morris (1992)
[Georgia Court of Appeals/brief filed 12/90 & Georgia Supreme Court/brief in support of petition for reconsideration filed 6/92] — Whether the lower court erred in rejecting the testimony of a neuropsychologist concerning the causes of brain damage as a result of exposure to the neurotoxic substance Aldrin and ruling that psychologists are not competent to testify as to the organic causes of psychological dysfunction by stating "Medical causation is not a subject within the scope of psychological expertise."
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Kentucky v. Wasson (1992)
[Kentucky Supreme Court/brief filed 8/91] — Whether Kentucky sodomy laws are constitutional under the Kentucky Constitution.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 434 KB)
Menendez v. State of California (1992)
[California Supreme Court/brief filed 10/91] — Whether patient-therapist communications lose their privileged status once a patient threatens others in a manner such that the therapist's Tarasoff duties are triggered and when a therapist-patient relationship is terminated.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 735 KB)
Planned Parenthood of S.E. Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 3/92] — Whether (1) the challenged provisions of Pennsylvania's abortion statute are constitutional, and (2) the standard of review established under Roe v. Wade for regulations restricting abortion remained the law of the land.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 512 KB)
Soroka v. Dayton Hudson Corp. d.b.a. Target Stores (1992)
[California Supreme Court/APA filed 1/92 letter in support of cert. petition. Although review was granted, the case was settled in 7/93 without an APA brief filed] — Whether certain portions of the MMPI and the California Psychological Inventory administered to job applicants (i.e., questions that facially and in isolation suggest they are related to religious and sexual matters) violate the privacy provisions of the California Constitution and certain anti-discrimination laws.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 37 KB)
Miller v. City of Poughkeepsie (1991)
[New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division/brief filed 12/91] — Whether the State of New York and the federal government consider "medical treatment" to include services provided by a psychologist.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 600 KB)
Bucy v. Bucy (1990)
[Connecticut Court of Appeals/brief filed 2/90] — Whether expenses incurred in psychotherapy for the treatment of eating disorders are "medical expenses" within the meaning of a separation and support decree.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 199 KB)
California Association of Psychology Providers v. Rank (1990)
[California Supreme Court/brief filed 6/88] — Whether certain California regulations were inconsistent with legislation defining the scope of psychologists' practice in hospitals and permitting psychologists to provide services as independent pratitioners "without discrimination."
Full text of amicus brief
Hodgson v. State of Minnesota (1988) & (1990)
[US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit/brief filed 3/87 & US Supreme Court/brief filed 9/89] — Whether a Minnesota statute requiring physicians to notify the parents of all unemancipated minors under the age of 18 at least 48 hours before performing an abortion was unconstitutional (companion case to Ohio v. Akron)
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 318 KB)
Maryland v. Craig (1990)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 3/90] — Whether certain procedural protections such as the use of one-way close circuit television may be afforded to the victims of child abuse when testifying against the accused individual.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 435 KB)
Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. (and Hodgson v. State of Minnesota) (1990)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 9/89] — Whether an Ohio statute which prohibited a physician from performing an abortion upon a minor unless notice was provided to one of the minor's parents.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 334 KB)
Washington v. Harper (1990)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 6/89] — Whether a prisoner in a correctional facility has the right to refuse the administration of psychotropic drugs.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 449 KB)
BenShalom v. Marsh (1989)
[US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit/brief filed 3/89] — Whether the US Army may constitutionally deny reenlistment to any serviceperson who declares him/herself to have a homosexual orientation.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 646 KB)
Patrick v. Burget (1989)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 11/87] — Whether the conduct of hospital peer committees with the power to grant hospital privileges were absolutely immune from antitrust liability under the state action doctrine.
Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins (1989)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 6/88] — Whether social psychological research and expert testimony regarding sex-role stereotyping is sufficient to support a finding of sex-discrimination in a Title VII (mixed motivation) case.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 493 KB)
Watkins v. United States Army (1989)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit/brief filed 8/88] — Whether US Army regulations requiring the discharge of lesbians and gay men and barring them from reenlisting were unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 3/89] — Whether a state statute that comprehensively regulated abortion was unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 887 KB)
Bowen v. Kendrick (1988)
[US Supreme Court/APA joined a brief filed 2/88] — Whether the 1981 Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) was constitutional, including whether it violated the constitutional rights of individuals to make informed reproductive decisions free of government coercion.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 242 KB)
In re Bryant (1988)
[District of Columbia Court of Appeals/brief filed 6/87] — Whether involuntarily committed mental patients have the right to refuse antipsychotic medication.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 381 KB)
Hodgson v. State of Minnesota (1988) & (1990)
[US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit/brief filed 3/87 & US Supreme Court/brief filed 9/89] — Whether a Minnesota statute requiring physicians to notify the parents of all unemancipated minors under the age of 18 at least 48 hours before performing an abortion was unconstitutional (companion case to Ohio v. Akron).
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 318 KB)
Martin v. Benson (1988)
[North Carolina Supreme Court/brief filed 4/97] — Whether a neuropsychologist is competent to testify as to whether the symptoms evidenced by a person are indications of a closed head injury.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 422 KB)
Penry v. Lynaugh (1988)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 9/88] — Whether mentally retarded individuals possess the moral culpability to be subjected to the death penalty.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 201 KB)
Riese v. St. Mary's Hospital & Medical Center (1988)
[California Supreme Court/brief filed 8/88] — Whether civilly committed mental patients could refuse the administration of antipsychotic medication absent a judicial determination of incompetence.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 604 KB)
United States v. Charters (1988)
[US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit/brief filed 6/88] — Whether a hospitalized patient has a federal constitutional right to refuse antipsychotic drugs unless the patient has been found incompetent to make treatment decisions or is imminently dangerous to self or others.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 510 KB)
Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust (1988)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 9/87] — Whether the use of non-validated employment assessment tools violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 644 KB)
Currie v. United States (1987)
[US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit/brief filed 1/87] — Whether a psychotherapist is liable under tort law for failure to institute involuntary commitment proceedings.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 337 KB)
Hartigan v. Zbaraz (1987)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 2/87] — Whether the Illinois Parental Notice Abortion Act which required a physician to give 24-hour notice to both parents of a minor was unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 543 KB)
Insurance Board v. Muir (1987)
[US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit/brief filed 8/86] — Whether employee benefit plans issued by private employers but administered by fiscal intermediaries are subject to ERISA or constitute the business of insurance, thus saving the state benefits laws from preemption (the main issue for psychology was whether ERISA exempts insurance carriers from complying with psychologists' freedom of choice laws and mandated mental-health benefit laws.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 570 KB)
Kentucky v. Stincer (1987)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/87] — Whether a defendant accused of sexually abusing a child has the right to be present at a pretrial hearing at which a child is questioned to determine competence to testify at trial.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 433 KB)
Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/86] — Whether Georgia's sodomy law, which outlawed private sexual conduct between consenting adults, was constitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 681 KB)
Colorado v. Connelly (1986)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 3/86] — Whether an individual diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic acting in response to "command hallucinations" is competent to waive Miranda rights and his subsequent confession is voluntary and admissible.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 515 KB)
Estate of Davis v. Yong-Oh Lhim (1986)
[Michigan Supreme Court/brief filed 7/86] — Whether a psychotherapist is liable under tort law for the standard of care concerning the discharge of patients from mental hospitals and not a therapist's duty to warn of potential danger.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 941 KB)
Ford v. Wainwright (1986)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/86] — Whether (1) it is unconstitutional to execute an incompetent person, and (2) the procedural issue of whether Florida's statutory scheme for evaluating the competency of a condemned prisoner meets the requirements of due process.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 559 KB)
Horne v. Goodson Logging Co. (1986)
[North Carolina Court of Appeals/brief filed 8/86] — Whether a neuropsychologist is competent and credible to testify as an expert determining neurological disability for the purposes of awarding monetary compensation.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 345 KB)
International Primate Protection League v. Institute for Behavioral Research (1986)
[US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit/APA joined 69 scientific organizations filing a joint amici curiae brief filed 1986] — Whether animal rights organizations have standing to sue for custody of a laboratory under state anti-cruelty to animals.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 288 KB)
Lockhart v. McCree (1986)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 12/85] — Whether the use of a death-qualified jury in a capital case is unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 415 KB)
Rivers v. Katz (and Grassi v. Acrish) (1986)
[New York Court of Appeals/brief filed 2/86] — Whether involuntarily committed mental patients, who have not been formally adjudicated to be incompetent, can refuse antipsychotic medication.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 407 KB)
Smith v. Murray (1986)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 12/85 under Smith v. Sielaff] — Whether information the defendant provides to a mental health professional for the purpose of diagnosis or assessment incident to preparing a defense to a charge of a capital offense can be used against him by the State to establish an aggravating circumstance during the death penalty phase.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 373 KB)
Stover v. State of Georgia (1986)
[Georgia Supreme Court/brief filed 11/86] — Whether a state anti-sodomy law criminally prohibiting oral sex was constitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 348 KB)
Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (1986)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 8/85] — Whether a Pennsylvania state law that required physicians to inform women contemplating an abortion of the detrimental physical and psychological effects was constitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 371 KB)
Dept. of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms v. Galioto (1986)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 2/86] — Whether provisions of a federal crime statute which permanently prohibited any individual adjudicated as suffering from a mental defective or committed to any mental institution from receiving, transporting, or shipping a firearm or ammunition in interstate commerce or being sold a firearm was unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 716 KB)
Ake v. Oklahoma (1985)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 6/84] — Whether an indigent defendant has the constitutional right to the appointment of a mental health professional at the State's expense to help the defendant prepare an insanity defense and rebut evidence of future dangerousness.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 602 KB)
City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, Inc. (1985)
[(US Supreme Court/APA signed onto brief filed 1984] — Whether zoning restrictions limiting the right of mentally retarded persons to establish group homes was unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 608 KB)
Hawthorne v. State of Florida (1985)
[Florida District Court of Appeals/brief filed 2/83] — Whether expert testimony on battered women's syndrome is admissible to help establish claims of self-defense in a murder case (Parallels the New Jersey v. Kelly case).
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 612 KB)
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Massachusetts (and Travelers Insurance Co. v. State of Massachusetts) (1985)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/85] — Whether a state law requiring mandatory minimal mental health benefits under which outpatient services could be provided by a licensed psychologist was preempted by the federal ERISA law.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 537 KB)
Oregon v. Miller (1985)
[Oregon Supreme Court/brief filed 12/84] — Whether psychotherapist-patient privilege extended to a receptionist and to statements made to a psychiatrist that were not for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 539 KB)
Alaska v. R.H. Wetherhorn (1984)
[Alaska Court of Appeals/brief filed 10/83] — Whether admissions of child abuse made during either voluntarily-obtained or court-ordered therapy are admissible in a criminal trial or protected by the state's privileged communication statutes and the right against self-incrimination under the state and/or federal constitution.
Full text of amicus brief
New Jersey v. Kelly (1984)
[New Jersey Supreme Court/brief filed 4/83] — Whether expert testimony on battered women's syndrome is admissible to help establish claims of self-defense in a murder case (Parallels case of Hawthorne v. Florida).
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 660 KB)
New York v. Uplinger (1984)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 12/83] — Whether a New York Loitering law that prohibited loitering for the purpose of engaging in "deviate" sexual intercourse was unconstitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.4 MB)
United States v. Leatherman (1984)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia/brief filed 11/83] (case dismissed when Leatherman escaped from hospital in 2/84) — Addresses Whether a prisoner found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed for treatment can refuse antipsychotic medications.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 485 KB)
United States v. Lyons (1984)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth District/brief filed 11/83] — Whether evidence of drug addiction should be admitted when the defendant raises an insanity defense.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 892 KB)
Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. (1983)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 8/82] — Whether the City of Akron's adoption of an informed consent requirement for abortions, which mandated that the individual providing pre-abortion counseling must be the woman's attending physician (as opposed to other qualified professionals) and specified the kind and substance of the information to be presented, was constitutional.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 334 KB)
Forrest v. Ambach (1983)
[NY Supreme Court/briefs filed 9/80, 7/81 & NY Supreme Court, Appellate Division/brief filed 12/82] — Whether the New York Commissioner of Education acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in not permitting a school psychologist to challenge her employment termination for due disagreeing with the State Commissioner regarding the statutory requirements for services to handicapped children.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 277 KB)
Hedlund v. Superior Court of Orange County (1983)
[California Supreme Court/brief filed 10/83] — Whether a "foreseeable" bystander in a close relationship to the victim of an assault by a patient can bring a cause of action against the patient's psychotherapist for emotional injury resulting from a failure to warn.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 112 KB)
Metropolitan Edison Co. v. People Against Nuclear Energy (and United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. People Against Nuclear Energy) (1983)
[US Supreme Court/briefs filed 9/82 and 1/83] — Whether there are situations in which an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act must consider the effects of a proposed action on psychological health.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 537 KB)
Mills v. Rogers (1983)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/83 and Massachusetts Supreme Court/brief filed 9/81] — Whether a patient institutionalized in a state psychiatric facility has the right to refuse the administration of antipsychotic medication.
Blue Shield of Virginia v. McCready (1982)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 1/82] — Whether an insured patient receiving psychotherapy has standing to sue for treble damages under antitrust laws (i.e., the Clayton Act) when third party payors refuse to reimburse psychologists for mental health services unless those services are billed by physicians.
Full text of amicus brief
United States v. Byers (1982)
[US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia/brief filed 10/81] — Whether a prosecution-requested, court-ordered clinical interview conducted in custodial confinement of a criminal defendant who was offering an insanity defense endangered the privilege against self-incrimination protected by the Fifth Amendment and the right to assistance of counsel protected by the Sixth Amendment.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 608 KB)
Youngberg v. Romero (1982)
[U.S. Supreme Court/brief filed 9/81) — Whether mentally retarded residents of state hospitals have the constitutional right to be free from undue bodily restraint, the right to personal security and protection, and the right to adequate treatment.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 735 KB)
Harris v. McRae (1980)
[US Supreme Court/APA signed onto a brief filed 7/80] — Whether (1) a state participating in the Medicaid program were required to pay for medically necessary abortions and (2) Whether the Hyde Amendment denying federal reimbursement for such abortions was unconstitutional.
Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists v. Blue Shield of Virginia (1980)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit/brief filed 7/79] — Whether a health insurance company's refusal to provide direct payments to clinical psychologists for outpatient psychological services rendered to the company's subscribers unless those services were ordered, supervised, and billed by a physician violated the Sherman Act and "Virginia's "freedom of choice" legislation.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 767 KB)
Detroit Edison Co. v. National Labor Relations Board (1979)
[US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit/brief filed 1976 & US Supreme Court/brief filed 1977] — Whether an order of the National Labor Relations Board that required Detroit Edison to provide to a union with copies of an actual test battery and employees' raw scores and test papers without their consent should be enforced in light of confidentiality and test security concerns.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 305 KB)
Hutchinson v. Proxmire (1979)
[US Supreme Court/brief filed 2/79] — Whether a research scientist is a "public figure" for the purposes of libel law if he is supported by public funds, thereby rendering it difficult for a scientist to sue for libel.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 475 KB)
Rone v. Fireman (1979)
[US District Ct., Northern District, Eastern Div./brief filed 1//78] — Whether the State had an obligation to treat persons confined to state mental hospitals in the least restrictive setting.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 182 KB)
Wyatt v. Aderholt (1973)
[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit/brief filed 11/72] — Whether (1) mentally impaired individuals who are involuntarily confined in state institutions have the right to treatment and (2) confinement without treatment deprives such individuals of their constitutional rights.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 1.4 MB)
United States v. Brawner (1972)
[US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia/brief filed 5/71] — Whether in insanity defense cases (1) the medical model should be abandoned, and (2) the results of psychological tests like the Rorschach should be admissible.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 649 KB)
Jenkins v. United States (1962)
[US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia/brief filed 2/62] — Whether a psychologist is competent to state professional opinions as an expert witness concerning the nature, and existence or non-existence, of mental disease and defect.
Full text of amicus brief (PDF, 201 KB)
