W&L Law’s Murchison Presents to Federal Bar Association Prof. Brian Murchison reviewed the last term of the U.S. Supreme Court and the development of the "major questions" doctrine.

By Law Communications
September 19, 2022

Professor Brian Murchison joined Roanoke litigator Jay O’Keeffe in reviewing notable cases of the 2021 Supreme Court Term at a meeting of the Roanoke Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.  Hosting the event was Judge Robert S. Ballou.

Professor Murchison discussed four cases involving the Court’s much-noted development of a “major questions doctrine” in interpreting federal statutes.  Murchison focused on Alabama Association of Realtors v. HHS, 141 S.Ct. 2485 (2021), National Federation of Independent Business v. OSHA, 142 S.Ct. 661 (2022), Biden v. Missouri, 142 S.Ct. 647 (2022), and West Virginia v. EPA, 142 S.Ct. 2587 (2022).

Mr. O’Keeffe, a partner at MichieHamlett and publisher of DeNovo: A Virginia Appellate Law Blog, reviewed three other key cases from the 2021 Term:  Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 142 S.Ct. 2228 (2022) (overruling Roe v. Wade), Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 142 S.Ct. 2407 (2022) (Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses protect “praying coach”), and Carson v. Makin, 142 S.Ct. 1987 (2022) (nonsectarian requirement for tuition assistance violated Free Exercise Clause).

The Western District of Virginia Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is comprised of the Roanoke Division of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. The chapter has served the Roanoke area since it was chartered in 2011 and has approximately 100 members from private practice, government agencies, local law schools and local courts.

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