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Kaley Chiles v. Patty Salazar, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, et al.
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, No. 22-1445, 23-1002 · judgment September 12, 2024
Decided · March 31, 2026
Pre-decision estimate: 11% cert probability (95% interval 7%–19%)
Before the decision, about 2.8× the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for a petition filed soon after the judgment below, a circuit split argued in the petition, and a dissent in the court below (flagged in the petition), and down for a state or local-government respondent.
Question presented
Kaley Chiles is a licensed counselor who helps people by talking with them. A practicing Christian, Chiles believes that people flourish when they live consistently with God's design, including their biological sex. Many of her clients seek her counsel precisely because they believe that their faith and their relationship with God establishes the foundation upon which to understand their identity and desires. But Colorado bans these consensual conversations based on the viewpoints they express. Its content- and viewpoint-based Counseling Restriction prohibits counseling conversations with minors that might encourage them to change their "sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions," while allowing conversations that provide "[a]cceptance, support, and understanding for ... identity exploration and development, including ... [a]ssistance to a person undergoing gender transition." Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12- 245-202(3.5). The Tenth Circuit upheld this ban as a regulation of Chiles's conduct, not speech. In doing so, the court deepened a circuit split between the Eleventh and Third Circuits, which do not treat counseling conversations as conduct, and the Ninth Circuit, which does. The question presented is: Whether a law that censors certain conversations between counselors and their clients based on the viewpoints expressed regulates conduct or violates the Free Speech Clause
Counsel of record
For petitioner
James A. Campbell
Alliance Defending Freedom
For respondent
Shannon Wells Stevenson
Colorado Department of Law
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 4 conferences
Amicus briefs
15 cert-stage · 84 merits
(54 supporting pet./neither, 30 respondent)
Argument & decision
Argued October 7, 2025 — James A. Campbell · Shannon W. Stevenson. Audio and transcript
Decided March 31, 2026. Opinion by Gorsuch.
Proceedings
- May 04 2026Judgment issued.
- Mar 31 2026Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Gorsuch, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, JJ., joined. Kagan, J., filed a concurring opinion in which Sotomayor, J., joined. Jackson, J., filed a dissenting opinion.
- Dec 19 2025Notice of petitioner notifying Court of supplemental authority (opinion attached) filed. (Distributed)
- Oct 07 2025Argued. For petitioner: James A. Campbell, Lansdowne, Va.; and Hashim M. Mooppan, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondents: Shannon W. Stevenson, Solicitor General, Denver, Colo.
- Sep 18 2025Reply of petitioner Kaley Chiles filed. (Distributed)
- Sep 09 2025Record received electronically from the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and available with the Clerk.
- Sep 05 2025Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
- Sep 02 2025CIRCULATED
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Religious Organizations filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Professors of Law, Medicine, and Public Health filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Experts in Health Care Practice, Health Law, and Bioethics filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Parents of Conversion-Therapy Participants, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Former Conversion Therapy Leaders filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Constitutional Law Scholars, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Lay Roman Catholics, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amicus curiae of International Law Scholar Paul Behrens filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of PFLAG, Inc., et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Medical History Scholars, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Ryan M. Kendall, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of The Trevor Project, Inc., et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of American Psychological Association, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Conversion Therapy Survivor Network, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Legal Ethics Professors filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of David Palmieri, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Faith-Based Mental Health Professionals filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amicus curiae of Mathew Shurka filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Health Law Scholars filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Members of Congress filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Dr. Jack L. Turban, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Washington, et al. filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amici curiae of Williams Institute Scholars filed.
- Aug 26 2025Brief amicus curiae of Freedom From Religion Foundation filed.
- Aug 25 2025Brief amicus curiae of Guy Albert, PhD filed.
- Aug 25 2025Brief amici curiae of Professor Clifford J. Rosky, et al. filed.
- Aug 25 2025Brief amici curiae of Land-Surveyor and Civil-Engineer Trade Associations filed.
- Aug 25 2025Brief amici curiae of Gregory Coles, et al. filed.
- Aug 25 2025Brief amici curiae of Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Aug 19 2025Brief of respondents Patty Salazar, et al. filed.
- Aug 18 2025Record received from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.
- Aug 13 2025Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
- Aug 12 2025SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
- Aug 12 2025Rule 35.3 letter regarding substitution of parties filed by respondents.
- Jun 23 2025Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Mary Hasson, et al. filed
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Heartbeat International filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Scholars filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Christian Family Coalition (CFC) Florida, Inc. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Sexual Orientation Scholars filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of American College of Pediatricians filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Liberty Justice Center filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Changed Movement filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of America's Future, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Frontline Policy Council, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of American Unity Fund, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of The Anglican Church in North America, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Sexuality Research Scholar Amy E. Hamilton filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Institute for Free Speech filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Erin Lee, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Women's Liberation Front filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Manhattan Institute, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Joy Buchman, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Christian Medical and Dental Associations filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Coloson Center for Christian Worldview, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Association of Certified Biblical Counselors filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Christian Legal Society filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Medical Professionals filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Erin Brewer, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Iowa, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Liberty Counsel filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Do No Harm, Inc. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Our Duty-USA, et al. filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of CatholicVote.org Education Fund filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amici curiae of First Amendment Scholars filed.
- Jun 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of Anthony M. Joseph filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amici curiae of Americans for Prosperity Foundation, et al. filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amicus curiae of Association of American Physicians and Surgeons filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Moral Law filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amicus curiae of The LONANG Institute filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amici curiae of Family Research Council, et al. filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Legal Foundation filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amicus curiae of the United States filed.
- Jun 12 2025Brief amicus curiae of David A. Robinson filed.
- Jun 11 2025Brief amicus curiae of Professor Eugene Volokh in support of neither party filed.
- Jun 11 2025Brief amici curiae of Plaintiffs in First Amendment cases pending before the Supreme Court in support of neither party filed.
- Jun 11 2025Brief amici curiae of Catholic Licensed Counselors, et al. filed.
- Jun 11 2025Brief amici curiae of NC Values Institute, et al. filed.
- Jun 11 2025Brief amicus curiae of Randy Elf filed.
- Jun 10 2025Brief amici curiae of Jaco Booyens Ministries, et al. filed.
- Jun 09 2025Brief amici curiae of American Association of Christian Counselors et al. filed.
- Jun 06 2025Brief of petitioner Kaley Chiles filed.
- Jun 06 2025Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
- Jun 06 2025Brief amicus curiae of National Religious Broadcasters filed.
- Jun 06 2025Brief amici curiae of Legislators from 30 State Legislatures filed.
- Jun 06 2025Brief amici curiae of America's Frontline Doctors, et al. filed.
- Jun 05 2025Brief amici curiae of Joseph Nicolosi, Jr., Ph.D., et al. filed.
- Apr 03 2025Motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including June 6, 2025. The time to file respondents' brief on the merits is extended to and including August 19, 2025.
- Mar 31 2025Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
- Mar 10 2025Petition GRANTED.
- Mar 03 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/7/2025.
- Feb 24 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/28/2025.
- Feb 14 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/21/2025.
- Jan 23 2025Rescheduled.
- Jan 15 2025Reply of petitioner Kaley Chiles filed. (Distributed)
- Jan 08 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/24/2025.
- Jan 06 2025Waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed by petitioner.
- Jan 06 2025Brief of respondents Patty Salazar, et al. in opposition filed. (Distributed)
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of Erin Lee, et al. filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of Christian Medical and Dental Associations, et al. filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of NC Values Institute, et al. filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of America's Frontline Doctors, et al. filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Moral Law filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of Heartbeat International filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of Iowa, et al. filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of American Association of Christian Counselors, et al. filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of CatholicVote.org Education Fund filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of Changed Movement filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of Liberty Justice Center filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of Association of Certified Biblical Counselors filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amicus curiae of Liberty Counsel filed.
- Dec 13 2024Brief amici curiae of James Dobson Family Institute, et al. filed.
- Dec 09 2024Brief amicus curiae of Ethics and Public Policy Center filed.
- Nov 27 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted in part, and the time is extended to and including January 6, 2025.
- Nov 25 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 13, 2024 to February 11, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
- Nov 08 2024Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 13, 2024)