Juliana v. United States

Youth filed their constitutional climate lawsuit, called Juliana v. U.S., against the U.S. government in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in 2015. Their complaint asserts that, through the government's affirmative actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources. The fossil fuel industry initially intervened in the case as defendants, joining the U.S. government in trying to have the case dismissed. In April 2016, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Coffin recommended denial of both motions to dismiss. U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken upheld Judge Coffin's recommendation, with the issuance of an historic November 10, 2016 opinion and order denying the motions. When the defendants sought an interlocutory appeal of that order, Judge Aiken denied their motions in June 2017. The case is currently active, and On March 12, 2020, 24 members of the United States Congress, prominent experts in the fields of constitutional law, climate change, and public health, and several leading women’s, children’s, environmental, and human rights organizations filed 10 amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Juliana v. United States. The briefs urge the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to grant the young plaintiffs’ en banc petition and convene a new panel of 11 circuit court judges to review January’s ruling.


 * https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/juliana-v-us
 * https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/lawlibrary