Notable Cases

Court Opinions

OGC handles a wide array of legal issues.  Below are a few of the notable court opinions in some of the areas in which OGC regularly practices:

Separation of Powers/Congressional Oversight

• McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 (1927)
• Comm. on the Judiciary v. Miers, 542 F.3d 909 (D.C. Cir. 2008)
• U.S. House of Representatives v. Burwell, 185 F. Supp. 3d 165 (D.D.C. 2015) (merits)
• U.S. House of Representatives v. Burwell, 130 F. Supp. 3d 53 (D.D.C. 2015) (standing)
• Comm. on Oversight & Gov't Reform v. Holder, 979 F. Supp. 2d 1 (D.D.C. 2013)
• Bean LLC d/b/a Fusion GPS v. Defendant Bank, --- F. Supp. 3d ---, 2018 WL 297125 (D.D.C. Jan. 4, 2018)

Speech or Debate Privilege

• Hutchinson v. Proxmire, 443 U.S. 111 (1979)
• United States v. Helstoski, 442 U.S. 477 (1979)
• Eastland v. U.S. Servicemen's Fund, 421 U.S. 491 (1975)
• Doe v. McMillan, 412 U.S. 306 (1973)
• United States v. Brewster, 408 U.S. 501 (1972)
• United States v. Johnson, 383 U.S. 169 (1966)
• Rangel v. Boehner, 785 F.3d 19 (D.C. Cir. 2015)
• United States v. Rayburn House Office Bldg., 497 F.3d 654 (D.C. Cir. 2007)
• MINPECO, S.A. v. Conticommodity Servs., Inc., 844 F.2d 856 (D.C. Cir. 1988)

Other Constitutional Litigation

• Barker v. Conroy, No. 16-850 (D.D.C. Oct. 11, 2017)
• Kurtz v. Baker, 829 F.2d 1133 (D.C. Cir. 1987)
• Consumers Union of the U.S., Inc. v. Periodical Correspondents' Ass'n, 515 F.2d 1341 (D.C. Cir. 1975)

Amicus Briefs

OGC regularly files amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the House or Committees in cases of institutional importance to the House.  Below are a few examples of such briefs:

• Patchak v. Zinke, et al., Brief as Amicus Curiae Supporting Respondents, No. 16-498 (Sept. 18, 2017)
• Moda Health Plan, Inc. v. United States, Brief as Amicus Curiae Supporting Defendant-Appellant, No. 2017-1994 (July 17, 2017)
• Sokolow v. Palestinian Liberation Org., et al., Brief as Amicus Curiae Supporting Certiorari, No. 16-1071 (April 6, 2017)
• Land of Lincoln Mut. Health Ins. Co. v. United States, Brief as Amicus Curiae Supporting Defendant-Appellee, No. 2017-1224 (May 1, 2017)