Akin Partners with ACLU and Lambda Legal on Landmark Transgender Rights Case at the US Supreme Court
Contact:
(Washington, D.C.) – Akin joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Tennessee and Lambda Legal in litigating a landmark case in the United States Supreme Court challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming care for adolescents. The Court today heard oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti. The ACLU’s Chase Strangio became the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the Supreme Court, and head of Akin’s Supreme Court & appellate practice Pratik Shah second-chaired Chase’s historic argument.
“Make no mistake: Tennessee’s ban is no ordinary medical regulation,” said Pratik. “Plaintiffs, their parents, their doctors and professional medical associations all agree that the medical care at issue is appropriate and essential. Yet Tennessee’s legislature decided to target transgender adolescents, and only transgender adolescents, by depriving them of the same treatments available to others for all other medical purposes.”
The plaintiffs include Samanth and Brian Williams and their 16 -year-old transgender daughter, along with two families filing anonymously and physician Dr. Susan Lacy. Akin and the ACLU have argued on their behalf that Tennessee’s law violates the equal protection rights of transgender youth.
In addition to Pratik, the Akin team included state attorneys general practice co-head Martine Cicconi, litigation partner Dean Chapman and counsel Kristen Loveland and James Salwen.
A decision is expected by July 2025.
About Akin’s Supreme Court & Appellate Practice
Akin’s Supreme Court & appellate practice is renowned as one of the nation’s top appellate practices. The practice is made up of an elite group of advocates, including veterans of the Solicitor General’s office and former Supreme Court clerks, who brief and argue dozens of cases every year in federal and state appellate courts across the country. We also regularly represent parties and amici in the U.S. Supreme Court, including presenting three oral arguments in the last two Terms.
Our appellate practice has received national recognition from virtually every respected legal publication. It has been recognized perennially by Chambers USA and Legal 500 as a leader in the field, listed in the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers rankings of America’s Best Law Firms and ranked recently by Corporate Counsel as one of the top three appellate practices nationwide. Akin has also garnered honors as Law360’s Appellate “Practice of the Year,” and remains a mainstay on The National Law Journal’s “Appellate Hot List.”
Akin is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
###
