The State Bar of California has succeeded in its appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit vacated a lower court’s ruling that previously determined the State Bar was not immune from a lawsuit under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which was initiated by a disabled veteran.
The appeal was influenced by a precedent established in October 2024, which requires courts to evaluate whether the ADA overrides state sovereign immunity on a claim-by-claim basis. This precedent mandates that the lower court’s decision must be reviewed and reassessed under the new analytical framework provided by the October ruling.
The district court’s initial decision in March 2024 had denied the State Bar sovereign immunity, but the Ninth Circuit has determined that this decision must now be vacated. As a result, the case will be remanded back to the district court for further proceedings consistent with the Ninth Circuit’s recent analysis. For more context, you can access details regarding the Ninth Circuit’s decision here.
This decision aligns with the appellate court’s commitment to scrutinize the scope of ADA’s imposition on state entities’ sovereign immunity in complex jurisdictional landscapes, particularly where claims pertain to alleged violations of rights guaranteed under the ADA. Further information about the initial lower court’s stance denying sovereign immunity can be found here.
Legal professionals should keep a close eye on the unfolding legal interpretations of sovereign immunity in ADA suits, as these decisions could have broader implications for future cases involving state entities. For a more comprehensive overview of the case’s developments, the full article is available on Bloomberg Law’s website here.