Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Cisco Systems, Inc., et al. v. Doe I, et al.
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, No. 15-16909 · judgment July 7, 2023
Decided · June 23, 2026
Pre-decision estimate: 3% cert probability
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Questions presented
Granted limited to questions 1 and 3 presented by the petition.
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Whether the Alien Tort Statute ("ATS"), 28 U.S.C. § 1350, allows a judicially-implied private right of action for aiding and abetting.
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Whether, if ATS aiding-and-abetting claims are cognizable, mere knowledge rather than purpose suffices to show the requisite mens rea.
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Whether the Torture Victim Protection Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1350 note, allows a judiciallyimplied private right of action for aiding and abetting.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Christopher George Michel
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
For respondent
Paul Lindsey Hoffman
Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes LLP
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 3 conferences
Amicus briefs
7 cert-stage · 22 merits
(4 supporting pet./neither, 18 respondent)
Linked docket
24A450
Argument & decision
Argued April 28, 2026 — Kannon K. Shanmugam · Paul L. Hoffman. Audio and transcript
Decided June 23, 2026. Opinion by Barrett.
Proceedings
- Jul 27 2026Judgment Issued.
- Jun 23 2026Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Barrett, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined. Jackson, J., filed an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part, in which Kagan, J., joined. Sotomayor, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Kagan and Jackson, JJ., joined as to Parts I–III and V.
- Apr 28 2026Argued. For petitioners: Kannon K. Shanmugam, Washington, D. C.; and Curtis E. Gannon, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondents: Paul L. Hoffman, Hermosa Beach, Cal.
- Apr 17 2026Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
- Apr 15 2026Reply of petitioners Cisco Systems, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 30 2026CIRCULATED
- Mar 27 2026Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amicus curiae of International Law Scholars filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Guernica37 Centre for International Justice filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Former U.S. Ambassadors-At-Large for War Crimes Issues/Global Criminal Justice, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Scholars of Federal Jurisdiction, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Center For A Free Cuba, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Representative Christopher H. Smith, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Professor William R. Casto, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Oxfam America, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of International Human Rights Organizations filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Persecuted Christian Minorities, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amicus curiae of Electronic Frontier Foundation filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Amicus brief of Estate of Tamar Kedem Siman Tov, et al. not accepted for filing. (To be resubmitted - April 1, 2026)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Estate of Tamar Kedem Siman Tov, et al. filed. (Resubmitted - April 1, 2026) (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Amicus brief of Former U.N. Special Rapporteurs on Torture not accepted for filing. (To be resubmitted April 01, 2026)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Former U.N. Special Rapporteurs on Torture filed. (Resubmitted - April 1, 2026) (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Amici brief of Human Rights First, et al. not accepted for filing. (To be resubmitted - April 1, 2026)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Human Rights First, et al. filed. (Resubmitted - April 1, 2026) (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amicus curiae of Center for Justice and Accountability filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 27 2026Brief amici curiae of Uyghur Human Rights Project, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 26 2026Brief amici curiae of Reverend Bob Fu, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Mar 25 2026Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
- Mar 20 2026Brief of respondents Doe I, et al. filed.
- Mar 06 2026Record received from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.
- Feb 25 2026Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
- Feb 25 2026Brief amicus curiae of CACI Premier Technology, Inc. filed.
- Feb 25 2026Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed.
- Feb 25 2026Brief amici curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, et al. filed.
- Feb 23 2026Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
- Feb 18 2026Brief of petitioners Cisco Systems, Inc., et al. filed.
- Feb 18 2026Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
- Feb 11 2026SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
- Jan 09 2026Petition GRANTED limited to Questions 1 and 3 presented by the petition.
- Dec 23 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/9/2026.
- Dec 22 2025Supplemental brief of respondents Doe I, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Dec 09 2025Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
- May 27 2025The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.
- May 06 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/22/2025.
- May 05 2025Reply of petitioners Cisco Systems, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Apr 21 2025Brief amicus curiae of Congressman Chris Smith filed.
- Apr 21 2025Brief of respondents Doe I, et al. in opposition filed.
- Mar 21 2025Response Requested. (Due April 21, 2025)
- Mar 19 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/4/2025.
- Mar 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Law Professor Samuel Estreicher, et al. filed.
- Mar 13 2025Brief amici curiae of Chevron Corporation, et al. filed.
- Mar 13 2025Brief amici curiae of The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, et al. filed.
- Mar 13 2025Brief amicus curiae of American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce filed.
- Feb 28 2025Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed.
- Feb 28 2025Waiver of right of respondent Doe I, et al. to respond filed.
- Jan 31 2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 13, 2025)
- Nov 06 2024Application (24A450) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until January 31, 2025.
- Nov 01 2024Application (24A450) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 2, 2024 to January 31, 2025, submitted to Justice Kagan.