Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Daniel Grand v. City of University Heights, Ohio, et al.
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, No. 24-3876 · judgment November 13, 2025
Set for argument · December 9, 2026
Pre-decision estimate: 5% cert probability (95% interval 3%–9%)
Before the decision, modestly above the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before, a petition filed soon after the judgment below, and a Sixth Circuit decision below, and down for a state or local-government respondent.
Question presented
Whether the First Amendment's established chilling-effect doctrine-under which a credible government threat that deters the exercise of fundamental rights constitutes a complete and independently actionable constitutional injury-is displaced by Williamson Cnty.'s land-use finality requirement when a plaintiff alleges that government threats both before and after a Planning Commission meeting chilled religious exercise, worship, and assembly.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
E. Joshua Rosenkranz
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
For respondent
Lisa S. Blatt
Williams & Connolly LLP
Case
Subject area
First Amendment (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)
Conference history
Distributed for 5 conferences
Amicus briefs
9 cert-stage · 28 merits
(28 supporting pet./neither)
Order
Order list, June 30, 2026 · Certiorari granted
Proceedings
- Sep 29 2026The briefing schedule is amended as follows. The time to file respondents’ brief on the merits, limited to 15,000 words, is extended to and including October 23, 2026. The reply brief is due on or before November 23, 2026. Respondents may file a sur-reply, limited to 4,000 words, solely addressing the effect, if any, of petitioner’s move out of City of University Heights, on or before December 2, 2026.
- Sep 23 2026Reply letter of petitioner filed. (Distributed)
- Sep 22 2026Record received electronically from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and available with the Clerk.
- Sep 21 2026Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
- Sep 21 2026Letter of respondents regarding petitioner's move from City of University Heights filed. (Distributed)
- Sep 18 2026CIRCULATED
- Sep 18 2026Letter notifying the Court of petitioner's move from City of University Heights filed. (Distributed)
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of The Local Government Legal Center, et al. in support of neither party filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Justice Institute filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of Kentucky, et al. filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of Religious Freedom Institute, et al. filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Rieders Foundation filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of Members of Congress filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of The American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of Agudath Israel Of America, et al. filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, et al. filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of Institute for Justice filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of National Jewish Advocacy Center, et al. filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Manhattan Institute filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of American Planning Association in support of neither party filed.
- Sep 08 2026Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of Grace New England filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amici curiae of Advancing American Freedom, et al. filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Buckeye Institute filed.
- Sep 08 2026Brief amicus curiae of Christian Legal Society filed.
- Sep 07 2026Brief amicus curiae of Protect the First Foundation filed.
- Sep 04 2026SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
- Sep 04 2026Brief amicus curiae of The Mattathias Project filed.
- Sep 03 2026Brief amici curiae of Pacific Legal Foundation, et al. filed.
- Aug 31 2026Brief amici curiae of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, et al. filed.
- Aug 31 2026Brief of petitioner Daniel Grand filed.
- Aug 31 2026Joint appendix filed.
- Aug 28 2026Rule 35.3 notification letter filed by counsel for respondents.
- Aug 06 2026Brief amicus curiae of NC Values Institute filed.
- Jul 28 2026Motion to extend the time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 31, 2026. The time to file respondents' brief on the merits is extended to and including October 16, 2026. The reply brief is due to be filed pursuant to Rule 25.3.
- Jul 16 2026Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
- Jun 30 2026Petition GRANTED.
- Jun 29 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/29/2026.
- Jun 22 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/25/2026.
- Jun 16 2026Rescheduled.
- Jun 15 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/18/2026.
- Jun 09 2026Rescheduled.
- May 26 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/11/2026.
- May 21 2026Reply of petitioner Daniel Grand filed. (Distributed)
- May 11 2026Brief of respondents City of University Heights, et al. in opposition filed.
- Apr 10 2026Brief amicus curiae of Protect the First Foundation filed.
- Apr 10 2026Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.
- Apr 10 2026Brief amici curiae of National Jewish Advocacy Center, et al. filed.
- Apr 10 2026Amici brief of Agudath Israel of America, et al. not accepted for filing. (To be resubmitted - April 15, 2026)
- Apr 10 2026Brief amici curiae of Agudath Israel of America, et al. filed. (Resubmitted)
- Apr 10 2026Brief amici curiae of Advancing American Freedom, et al. filed.
- Apr 10 2026Brief amicus curiae of Manhattan Institute filed.
- Apr 10 2026Brief amici curiae of Islam & Religious Freedom Action Team of the Religious Freedom Institute, et al. filed.
- Apr 10 2026Brief amici curiae of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, et al. filed.
- Mar 18 2026Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Justice Institute filed.
- Mar 13 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including May 11, 2026.
- Mar 12 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 10, 2026 to May 11, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Mar 11 2026Response Requested. (Due April 10, 2026)
- Mar 04 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/20/2026.
- Feb 24 2026Waiver of right of respondent University of Heights, Ohio, et al. to respond filed.
- Feb 11 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 19, 2026)