2012 in American law

2012 in American law
Year	2012
Country	United States
Notable cases	National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, United States v. Windsor, Shelby County v. Holder, Brown v. Plata
Legislation	American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012, Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
President	Barack Obama
Chief justice	John Roberts
Congress	112th United States Congress, 113th United States Congress

Contents

2012 in American law

2012 saw a convergence of landmark Supreme Court of the United States rulings, high-profile federal legislation, and state ballot initiatives that reshaped health care law, voting rights, same-sex marriage law, and criminal justice reform. Major decisions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit intersected with actions by President Barack Obama, the United States Senate, and the United States House of Representatives. The year influenced litigation strategies across civil rights law, tax law, immigration law, and administrative law.

Major Federal Legislation and Executive Actions

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 addressed fiscal cliff negotiations involving Treasury Department, White House negotiators, and leaders from the United States Senate Committee on Finance such as Max Baucus and Orrin Hatch. The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) sought capital formation reform engaging stakeholders like the Securities and Exchange Commission and Small Business Administration. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) amendments affected institutions including Internal Revenue Service enforcement and multinational banks such as JPMorgan Chase and HSBC. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 passed after advocacy by groups tied to National Organization for Women and legislators including Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley. Executive actions by Barack Obama on deferred action processes prompted litigation from attorneys general of states like Texas and Arizona and involvement by Department of Homeland Security.

The Supreme Court of the United States issued pivotal opinions: in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius the Court addressed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, with justices including John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg authoring opinions. In United States v. Windsor the Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act after briefs filed by the United States Department of Justice and advocates such as Lambda Legal and American Civil Liberties Union. In Shelby County v. Holder the Court reviewed sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with parties including Eric Holder and plaintiff counties like Shelby County, Alabama. Other significant opinions included Brown v. Plata addressing United States Bureau of Prisons mandates and remedial orders involving judges such as Thelton Henderson. Federal appellate panels in the Ninth Circuit and D.C. Circuit decided cases implicating Environmental Protection Agency rulemaking, National Labor Relations Board authority, and immigration law involving Department of Homeland Security policies.

States held consequential ballot measures and legislative actions: California's electorate considered initiatives affecting same-sex marriage law and Marijuana Policy Project-backed measures, while Massachusetts and Connecticut saw litigation arising from state statutes. Decisions by state supreme courts in New York Court of Appeals, Florida Supreme Court, and California Supreme Court shaped doctrines on search and seizure and contractual disputes involving corporations like Google and Facebook. Numerous states enacted voter ID statutes debated in litigation by advocates from Brennan Center for Justice and legislators such as Andrew Cuomo and Scott Walker. Ballot outcomes in states including Maine, Maryland, and Washington advanced marriage equality claims that later interfaced with federal petitions filed with the United States Supreme Court.

2012 featured reforms and high-profile prosecutions: federal sentencing outcomes continued to reflect the influence of the United States Sentencing Commission modifications and enhanced focus on mandatory minimums pushed by advocates like American Civil Liberties Union and legislators including Richard Shelby. High-profile prosecutions by the United States Attorney's Office involved corporate defendants such as BP and financial institutions tied to the Financial Crisis of 2007–2008. Law enforcement conduct and use-of-force matters prompted civil suits against municipal police departments like those in Oakland, California and Ferguson, Missouri; civil rights organizations including NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund litigated police practices. Asset forfeiture procedures and detainee treatment issues engaged federal entities such as the Department of Justice and resulted in appellate review by circuits including the Eleventh Circuit.

Privacy and surveillance attracted attention as litigation confronted programs operated by the National Security Agency and oversight by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, with advocates including Electronic Frontier Foundation and public figures like Edward Snowden later catalyzing debate. Civil rights litigation under statutes like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 involved parties such as Department of Justice and non-profits like ACLU and Human Rights Campaign. Decisions in United States v. Jones-related jurisprudence continued to shape expectations about location tracking and Fourth Amendment claims, engaging scholars at institutions like Harvard Law School and Yale Law School.

Judicial nominations in the United States Senate included confirmation battles over nominees to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and district courts with senators such as Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid influencing outcomes. Chief Justice John Roberts presided over administrative changes in the Judicial Conference of the United States addressing budgetary constraints and caseload management affecting courts in circuits like the Second Circuit and Fifth Circuit. Professional ethics debates involved the American Bar Association and high-profile counsel from firms such as Sullivan & Cromwell and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Court technology initiatives, case-management reforms, and alternative dispute resolution programs expanded in federal district courts including the Southern District of New York and Northern District of California.

Category:2012 in United States law