No. 26-237
 
Title: John Woolard, et al., Petitioners
v.
Tony Thurmond, et al.
Docketed: August 24, 2026
Linked with: 25A1287
Lower Ct: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
   Case Numbers: (24-4291)
   Decision Date: March 23, 2026
 
Proceedings and Orders
May 15 2026 Application (25A1287) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from June 21, 2026 to August 20, 2026, submitted to Justice Kagan.
Main Document Lower Court Orders/Opinions Proof of Service
May 20 2026 Application (25A1287) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until August 20, 2026.
Aug 20 2026 Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 23, 2026)
Petition Appendix Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 01 2026 Brief amicus curiae of NC Values Institute filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 09 2026 Motion of Blue Ridge Academy, et al. to extend the time to file a response from September 23, 2026 to October 23, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
Main Document
Sep 10 2026 Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including October 23, 2026, for all respondents.
Sep 10 2026 Motion of Tony Thurmond to extend the time to file a response from September 23, 2026 to October 23, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
Main Document
Sep 11 2026 Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including October 23, 2026, for all respondents.
Sep 11 2026 Motion of Michael Coleman, et al. to extend the time to file a response from September 23, 2026 to October 23, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
Main Document Proof of Service
Sep 14 2026 Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including October 23, 2026, for all respondents.
Sep 18 2026 Brief amicus curiae of Pioneer New England Legal Foundation filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 22 2026 Brief amici curiae of Manhattan Institute, et al. filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Justice Institute filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amicus curiae of EdChoice, Inc. filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amicus curiae of CatholicVote.org Education Fund filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 23 2026 Brief amicus curiae of Religious Freedom Institute filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amici curiae of U.S. Senator Ted Budd, et al. filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amici curiae of Coalition for Jewish Values, et al. filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amicus curiae of Association of Christian Schools International filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Sep 23 2026 Brief amici curiae of Parents Initiative, et al. filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 23 2026 Brief amici curiae of The Hive Method Foundation, et al. filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 23 2026 Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Moral Law filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Sep 23 2026 Brief amici curiae of Utah, et al. filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Attorneys
Attorneys for Petitioners
Allyson Ho
Counsel of Record
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
2001 Ross Avenue
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75201

AHO@GIBSONDUNN.COM
Ph: 214-698-3233
Party name: John Woolard, et al.


Attorneys for Respondents
Anthony Nicholas DeMaria
Counsel of Record
DeMaria Law Firm, A.P.C.
1684 W. Shaw Avenue, Suite 101
Fresno, CA 93711

ademaria@demarialawfirm.com
Ph: 559-206-2410
Party name: Michael Coleman; Kristin Blanco; Barry Lindaman; Breann Morse; Ted Destrampe; Rene Adamo


Leonard Bruce Garfinkel
Counsel of Record
Califomia Department of Education
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

LGARFINKEL@CDE.CA.GOV
Ph: 9163190426
Party name: Tony Thurmond


Kendra J. Hall
Counsel of Record
Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
525 B Street
Suite 2200
San Diego, CA 92101

kendra.hall@procopio.com
Ph: 6195253836
Party name: Blue Ridge Academy; Jessie Maron; Lisa Sophos; Samantha Haynes


Ross R. Nott
Counsel of Record
Spinelli, Donald & Nott
300 University Avenue
Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95825

rossn@sdnlaw.com
Ph: 9164487888
Party name: San Juan Unified School District


Other Attorneys
Nicholas M. Bruno
Counsel of Record
Beck Redden LLP
1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500
Houston, TX 77010

nbruno@beckredden.com
Ph: 713-951-3700
Party name: Coalition for Jewish Values and National Council of Young Israel


John J. Bursch
Counsel of Record
Alliance Defending Freedom
440 First Street NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20001

jbursch@adflegal.org
Ph: 202-393-8690
Party name: U.S. Senators Ted Budd, et al.


Deborah Dewart
Counsel of Record
111 Magnolia Lane
Hubert, NC 28539

LAWYERDEBORAH@OUTLOOK.COM
Ph: 9103264554
Party name: NC Values Institute


John Allen Eidsmoe
Counsel of Record
Foundation for Moral Law
P.O. Box 148
Gallant, AL 35972

eidsmoeja@morallaw.org
Ph: 3342621245
Party name: Foundation for Moral Law


Thomas M. Fisher
Counsel of Record
EdChoice, Inc.
111 Monument Circle
Suite 2650
Indianapolis, IN 46204

tfisher@edchoice.org
Ph: 317-681-0745
Party name: EdChoice, Inc.


Noel John Francisco
Counsel of Record
Jones Day
51 Louisiana Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

NJFRANCISCO@JONESDAY.COM
Ph: (202) 879-3939
Party name: Religious Freedom Institute


Katherine Inez Hartley
Counsel of Record
Pacific Justice Institute
P.O. Box 2131
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816

khartley@pji.org
Ph: 8589456924
Party name: Pacific Justice Institute


Paul Richard Johnson
Counsel of Record
Pioneer New England Legal Foundation
185 Devonshire St., Suite 1101
Boston, MA 02110

paul.johnson@pioneerlegal.org
Ph: 6178191010
Party name: Pioneer New England Legal Foundation


James Andrew Mackenzie
Counsel of Record
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader US LLP
555 13th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004

drew.mackenzie@hlc.com
Ph: 2026375766
Party name: CatholicVote.org Education Fund


Christopher George Michel
Counsel of Record
KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

christopher.michel@kirkland.com
Ph: 202-389-5000
Party name: The Association of Christian Schools International


Stanford Edward Purser
Counsel of Record
Utah Attorney General's Office
160 E. 300 S., 5th floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84114

SPURSER@AGUTAH.GOV
Ph: 801-538-9600
Party name: State of Utah and 17 Other States


Christopher James Schweickert
Counsel of Record
SETO WOOD & SCHWEICKERT LLP
2300 Contra Costa Boulevard
Suite 310
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

cjs@wcjuris.com
Ph: 925-938-6100
Party name: The Hive Method Foundation and Awaken Church dba Awaken Academy


Ilya Shapiro
Counsel of Record
Manhattan Institute
52 Vanderbilt Ave.
New York, NY 10017

ishapiro@manhattan-institute.org
Ph: 212599-7000
Party name: Manhattan Institute and Notre Dame Education Law Project


Timothy Ray Snowball
Counsel of Record
PARENTS INITIATIVE OF THE LIBERTY JUSTICE CENTER
1629 K Street N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006

tsnowball@ljc.org
Ph: (512) 481-4400
Party name: Parents Initiative, Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty, Abraham Knowledge Academy, and Coalition of Virtue