Supreme Court Chevron
Definition
A colloquial reference to the U.S. Supreme Court's 1984 landmark ruling in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., which established the 'Chevron deference' doctrine. Under this principle, courts were required to defer to federal agencies' reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes they administer.
In contemporary usage, it often alludes to the Supreme Court's June 2024 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce), which explicitly overruled Chevron deference, mandating that courts exercise independent judgment in interpreting statutes rather than deferring to executive agencies.
Examples
The Supreme Court Chevron smackdown left regulators scrambling to reread their own rulebooks without the safety net of judicial blinders.
At the law firm happy hour, everyone toasted the Supreme Court Chevron era's end, finally freeing judges from playing 'follow the agency' bingo.
Thanks to the Supreme Court Chevron pivot, humble fishermen in Loper Bright became accidental heroes, hauling in a catch bigger than any agency net.
Politicos hailed the Supreme Court Chevron burial as a masterstroke, whispering that now even the EPA needs a hall pass for its wild interpretations.