After striking out in the two most high-profile U.S. Supreme Court cases of 2012 and 2013, this term Paul Clement reminded his fans in politics and big business why they keep coming back. In the span of less than a week, the Bancroft partner and former U.S. solicitor general unraveled the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate and derailed a threat to the broadcast and cable TV industries.
In the process, Clement made some new enemies too. His June 30 victory in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores enraged critics who say the ruling imperils contraceptive health care and extends dangerous new rights to corporations. In American Broadcasting Companies v. Aereo, Clement abruptly shut down a much-hyped startup’s novel strategy for delivering online television, leaving cable cord-cutters gnashing their teeth.
