Sveen v. Melin

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
16-1432	8th Cir.	Mar 19, 2018 Tr.Aud.	Jun 11, 2018	8-1	Kagan	OT 2017

Holding: The retroactive application of Minnesota’s revocation-on-divorce statute -- which automatically nullifies an ex-spouse’s beneficiary designation on a life-insurance policy or other will substitute -- does not violate the Constitution’s contracts clause.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 8-1, in an opinion by Justice Kagan on June 11, 2018. Justice Gorsuch filed a dissenting opinion.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

The Annual: OT2017 in Review (First Mondays)
OT2017 #29: "Average Joe" (First Mondays)
A "view" from the courtroom: Chipping away at the caseload (Mark Walsh)
Opinion analysis: Court rejects constitutional challenge to state law on insurance policies after divorce (Amy Howe)
Argument analysis: Legal questions, practical concerns at play in post-divorce life insurance case (Amy Howe)
OT2017 #18: "Legal Faux Pas" (First Mondays)
Argument preview: Justices consider contracts clause and post-divorce life-insurance policies (Amy Howe)
Justices release March calendar (Amy Howe)
Court adds seven new cases to merits docket (Amy Howe)
Petition of the day (Aurora Barnes)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
Jun 01 2017	Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due July 3, 2017)
Jun 05 2017	Waiver of right of respondent Kaye Melin to respond filed.
Jul 19 2017	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of September 25, 2017.
Aug 01 2017	Response Requested. (Due August 31, 2017)
Aug 16 2017	Order extending time to file response to petition to and including September 29, 2017.
Sep 29 2017	Brief of respondent Kaye Melin in opposition filed.
Oct 06 2017	Reply of petitioners Ashley Sveen, et al. filed.
Oct 18 2017	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/3/2017.
Oct 23 2017	Rescheduled.
Nov 20 2017	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/8/2017.
Dec 08 2017	Petition GRANTED.
Dec 18 2017	Letter from counsel for petitioners regarding case caption filed.
Jan 16 2018	Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioners Ashley Sveen, et al.
Jan 22 2018	Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioners GRANTED.
Jan 22 2018	Brief of petitioners Ashley Sveen, et al. filed.
Jan 24 2018	SET FOR ARGUMENT ON Monday, March 19, 2018
Jan 26 2018	Brief amicus curiae of American College of Trust and Estate Counsel filed.
Feb 07 2018	CIRCULATED
Feb 21 2018	Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 8th Circuit.
Feb 21 2018	Brief of respondent Kaye Melin filed. (Distributed)
Feb 27 2018	Brief amicus curiae of Professor James W. Ely, Jr. filed. (Distributed)
Feb 28 2018	Brief amici curiae of The Women’s Law Project, et al. filed. (Distributed)
Mar 05 2018	Record received from the U.S.C.A. 8th Circuit. (1 Box)
Mar 08 2018	Reply of petitioners Ashley Sveen, et al. filed. (Distributed)
Mar 19 2018	Argued. For petitioners: Adam G. Unikowsky, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Shay Dvoretzky, Washington, D. C.
Jun 11 2018	Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Kagan, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, and Sotomayor, JJ., joined. Gorsuch, J., filed a dissenting opinion.
Jul 13 2018	JUDGMENT ISSUED.
Aug 21 2018	The Record from the U.S.C.A. 8th C has been returned.

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The Supreme Court released additional orders from the January 11 conference on Monday; the justices called for the views of the U.S. solicitor general in CSX Transportation Inc. v. Alabama Department of Revenue, Alabama Department of Revenue v. CSX Transportation Inc. and Toshiba Corp. v. Automotive Industries Pension Trust Fund.
On Tuesday, the justices released their opinions in New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira and Stokeling v. United States.
On Monday, the justices heard oral argument in Thacker v. Tennessee Valley Authority and Rimini Street Inc. v. Oracle USA Inc.
On Tuesday, the justices heard oral argument in Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. v. Jackson and Azar v. Allina Health Services.
On Wednesday, the justices heard oral argument in Knick v. Township of Scott and Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Blair.
On Friday, the justices meet for their January 18 conference; John Elwood's Relist Watch compiles the petitions relisted for this conference.
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6	7 Orders MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP. V. ALBRECHT (17-290) OBDUSKEY V. MCCARTHY & HOLTHUS LLP (17-1307)	8 HERRERA V. WYOMING (17-532) FOURTH ESTATE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORP. V. WALL-STREET.COM, LLC (17-571) Opinions	9 FRANCHISE TAX BOARD OF CALIFORNIA V. HYATT (17-1299)	10	11 Conference	12
13	14 Orders THACKER V. TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (17-1201) RIMINI STREET INC. V. ORACLE USA INC. (17-1625)	15 HOME DEPOT U.S.A. INC. V. JACKSON (17-1471) AZAR V. ALLINA HEALTH SERVICES (17-1484) Opinions	16 KNICK V. TOWNSHIP OF SCOTT, PENNSYLVANIA (17-647) TENNESSEE WINE AND SPIRITS RETAILERS ASSOCIATION V. BLAIR (18-96)	17	18 Conference	19
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Cases argued	43
Cases decided	9
Summary reversals	2
Merits cases granted to date	73

Sveen v. Melin

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Featured Posts

Challengers urge justices to dismiss census case after district court ruling – Amy Howe

Reargument analysis: Justices seek a “middle position” in takings litigation case – Miriam Seifter

Argument analysis: Justices have strong views about removal of class actions – Ronald Mann

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