Edward Turnbull, IV v. Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas, et al.

Petitioner sued state bar officials after they mishandled his grievances against attorneys who falsely accused him of illegal conduct. His suit alleged that the officials discriminated against him in violation of his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. He sought a limited injunction that would require those officials to reconsider his grievances in accordance with the Constitution; he did not ask for those officials to reach a particular outcome once they did so. The Fifth Circuit nonetheless dismissed Petitioner’s claims on standing grounds, concluding that he lacked a redressable interest in securing an unbiased tribunal to hear his grievances. The question presented is whether private citizens have standing to seek injunctive relief against local and state officials to compel them to conduct administrative proceedings in accordance with the First and Fourteenth Amendments.