Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A.

Holding with regard to a 67-year-old plaintiff and a 59-year-old comparator that " difference of eight years between the age of the person discharged and his replacement . . . is not insignificant"

Lujan v. Defs. of Wildlife

Holding that the elements of standing "must be supported in the same way as any other matter on which the plaintiff bears the burden of proof"

Harlow v. Fitzgerald

Holding that public officials are entitled to a "qualified immunity" from "liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established . . . rights of which a reasonable person would have known"

Kentucky v. Graham

Holding that "an official-capacity suit is, in all respects other than name, to be treated as a suit against the entity," and that "a plaintiff seeking to recover on a damages judgment in an official-capacity suit must look to the government entity itself"

Scheuer v. Rhodes

Holding that executive branch officers had qualified immunity

Conley v. Gibson

Holding that "a complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief"

Warth v. Seldin

Holding that Article III requires plaintiffs "to establish that, in fact, the asserted injury was the consequence of the defendants' actions"

Brandon v. Holt

Holding that an official sued in his official capacity may not take advantage of a qualified immunity defense

Dept. of Air Force v. Rose

Holding that although "redaction cannot eliminate all risks of identifiability," it was a "familiar technique" and sufficient to protect the identities of Air Force Academy cadets described in summaries of disciplinary proceedings

Department of Justice v. Tax Analysts

Holding that documents are only “agency records” within the meaning of FOIA if the agency both “create or obtain” the documents and “control” them

Rule 12 - Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing

Granting the court discretion to exclude matters outside the pleadings presented to the court in defense of a motion to dismiss

Rule 56 - Summary Judgment

Holding a party may move for summary judgment on any part of any claim or defense in the lawsuit

Rule 8 - General Rules of Pleading

Holding that "[e]very defense to a claim for relief in any pleading must be asserted in the responsive pleading. . . ."

Section 1331 - Federal question

Finding that in order to invoke federal question jurisdiction, a plaintiff's claims must arise "under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States."

Section 2201 - Creation of remedy

Granting district courts the authority to create a remedy with the force of a final judgment

Section 552 - Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings

Holding that the Court's entering of a “Stipulation and Order” approving the parties' terms of dismissal did not amount to a “court-ordered consent decree” that would render the plaintiff the prevailing party

Section 1803 - Designation of judges