About
The National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC) is a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that advocates on behalf of the Chamber and its members for the fair treatment of business in the courts and before regulatory agencies.
Our 4 Part Litigation Program
The Litigation Center's litigation program consists of:
- Initiating litigation as a party plaintiff, or intervening in litigation, to take on difficult cases that individual businesses might be reluctant to file or that no single business could fight alone.
- Amicus curiae (or "friend of the court" strategy and briefing. The Litigation Center engages in strategic amicus curiae litigation in courts across the country and in every level of the judicial system. The Litigation Center's amicus strategy includes filing briefs that present unique and compelling legal arguments, and that educate courts on the practical implications of legal decisions to the broader business community.
- Hosting moot courts to assist Supreme Court advocates to prepare for oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Working with the media to help the public understand the effect of business cases on the American economy.
What Others Are Saying About the U.S. Chamber's Litigation Center
- Citing the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center's "continued dominance" before the U.S. Supreme Court, SCOTUSblog ranks the Chamber the Number 1 "All-Star" when it comes to shaping the U.S. Supreme Court's docket through filing certiorari stage amicus briefs. SCOTUSblog.com, "Cert.-stage amicus All-Stars: Where are they now?," April 4, 2013.
- The National Law Journal discusses the National Chamber Litigation Center's record before the Supreme Court in the 2011 Term. National Law Journal, "A strong Supreme Court term for business," August 1, 2012.
- "I know from personal experience that the chamber’s support carries significant weight with the justices. Except for the solicitor general representing the United States, no single entity has more influence on what cases the Supreme Court decides and how it decides them than the National Chamber Litigation Center.” Carter G. Phillips, quoted in The New York Times, "Justices Offer Receptive Ear to Business," December 18, 2010.
- "The chamber’s litigation unit, set up in 1977, may be second only to the solicitor general’s office in its influence at the Supreme Court." Bloomberg, "Obama 10th Justice Kagan Subverts Supreme Court Business Tilt," January 11, 2010
- An in-depth academic analysis aimed at "explaining the Chamber of Commerce's success at the Roberts Court" notes the high quality and sophistication of the Litigation Center's legal advocacy. Franklin, David L., "What Kind of Business-Friendly Court? Explaining the Chamber of Commerce's Success at the Roberts Court" (February 4, 2009). Santa Clara Law Review, Vol. 49, 2009
- The U.S. Chamber is the "king of the amici" because of the Litigation Center's success at the initial "certiorari-stage" of Supreme Court litigation. Slate.com, "The Early Brief Gets the Worm," December 5, 2008.
- The rise of the Chamber's Litigation Center is an "especially remarkable story" and NCLC's litigation program is the "paradigmatic example" of public policy advocacy before the U.S. Supreme Court. Richard Lazarus, Georgetown Law Journal, "Advocacy Matters Before and Within the Supreme Court: Transforming the Court by Transforming the Bar," 96 Geo. L.J. 1487-1564 (2008)
- New York Times traces the 30-year history of the National Chamber Litigation Center. The New York Times Magazine, "Supreme Court, Inc.," March 16, 2008.
- The U.S. Chamber is "more willing, in fact, than any other organization" to "step in and state its interests" to urge the Supreme Court to review cases. SCOTUSblog.com, "Cert.-stage Amicus Briefs: Who Files Them and To What Effect?" September 27, 2007.
Learn more about:
The board of directors of the Litigation Center
The staff of the Litigation Center
National Chamber Litigation Center, Inc.
1615 H St., NW
Washington, DC 20062
(202) 463-5337 (phone)
(202) 463-5346 (fax)
nclc@uschamber.com