American Association of University Professors et al. v. U.S. Department of Justice et al.

Why this Matters: 

Plaintiffs allege that defendants’ previous withholding of federal funds for research grants and contracts, and continued threats to withhold future funds, violates the Administrative Procedure Act, usurps Congress’ Article I legislative powers, the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, the Tenth Amendment, and the First Amendment. Columbia University depends on federal funding to support research on a wide range of topics in health, science, social science, and humanities, as well as the training of future physicians and scientists.

Potential Impact:

Loss of federal funding by higher education institutions compromises academic freedom and significantly reduces research operations, thus jeopardizing their ability to conduct critical research.