US Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Civil Rights Enforcement in Williams v. Reed Case
News
February 25, 2025
In a 5-4 opinion by Justice Kavanaugh, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, the Supreme Court reversed the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision and established a significant precedent regarding the burden of entry to bring federal civil rights claims in state court.
This case presented complex questions about federalism, administrative law, and civil rights enforcement. Partner Adam Unikowsky sucessfully argued the case before SCOTUS in October 2024. For his work on this case, Adam was featured in The American Lawyer's Litigator of the Week shout outs.
Jenner represented 21 unemployed workers in Alabama who sought to challenge extreme delays in the processing of their unemployment benefits or denials of benefits without adequate notice. The Alabama Department of Labor had effectively created a bureaucratic black hole, where applicants’ appeals languished without hearings or were rejected without explanation.
Alabama's courts had ruled that applicants could not sue over processing delays until they had exhausted the very administrative process that was not functioning well. The Court wrote that the unacceptable implication of the Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion was "you can never challenge delays in the administrative process." The Court recognized this created an impermissible immunity shield for state officials against Section 1983 claims.
The implications of the SCOTUS decision extend far beyond unemployment benefits. It establishes an important principle that states cannot create procedural barriers that effectively immunize officials from accountability under federal civil rights laws.
In addition to Adam, the Jenner team included Associates Arjun Ramamurti and Emanuel Powell III. The team worked in partnership with the UChicago Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic.
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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
News
February 25, 2025
In a 5-4 opinion by Justice Kavanaugh, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, the Supreme Court reversed the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision and established a significant precedent regarding the burden of entry to bring federal civil rights claims in state court.
This case presented complex questions about federalism, administrative law, and civil rights enforcement. Partner Adam Unikowsky sucessfully argued the case before SCOTUS in October 2024. For his work on this case, Adam was featured in The American Lawyer's Litigator of the Week shout outs.
Jenner represented 21 unemployed workers in Alabama who sought to challenge extreme delays in the processing of their unemployment benefits or denials of benefits without adequate notice. The Alabama Department of Labor had effectively created a bureaucratic black hole, where applicants’ appeals languished without hearings or were rejected without explanation.
Alabama's courts had ruled that applicants could not sue over processing delays until they had exhausted the very administrative process that was not functioning well. The Court wrote that the unacceptable implication of the Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion was "you can never challenge delays in the administrative process." The Court recognized this created an impermissible immunity shield for state officials against Section 1983 claims.
The implications of the SCOTUS decision extend far beyond unemployment benefits. It establishes an important principle that states cannot create procedural barriers that effectively immunize officials from accountability under federal civil rights laws.
In addition to Adam, the Jenner team included Associates Arjun Ramamurti and Emanuel Powell III. The team worked in partnership with the UChicago Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic.
Related Attorneys
Related Capabilities
Related Locations
© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
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