Court Battles

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has been in court defending the environment and human health. Litigation is in our DNA. 

Here, you can follow some of our landmark court battles as well as other legal advocacy, including administrative cases and amicus briefs. Whether up against a fossil fuel corporation or a government agency, NRDC will continue using facts, evidence, and the rule of law to enforce safeguards and hold polluters accountable.

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Featured Court Battles

All Court Cases

Viewing 1 - 20 of 39

Vaquita Lawsuits

Court CaseMexico, United StatesActive
NRDC and our partners are fighting to save the last of the vaquita.

NRDC v. E. Scott Pruitt et al. (Neonic Pesticides)

Court CaseUnited StatesActive
Research shows neonics are highly toxic to wildlife, including key pollinators—and the EPA’s failure to act on that evidence violates the Endangered Species Act. So we’re suing.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act Lawsuits

Court CaseUnited StatesClosed
To reinstate bedrock protections for more than 1,000 species of birds, NRDC and partners challenged a radical reinterpretation of the MBTA.

Keystone XL Pipeline Lawsuits

Court CaseNebraska, South Dakota, MontanaActive
The massive pipeline threatened our climate and public health—and the government’s approvals violated environmental laws. So we went to court.

Dirty Water Rule

Court CaseUnited StatesClosed
The Trump-era rule narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act by revoking federal protections for countless streams, wetlands, and other waters.

NRDC v. Federal Communications Commission

Court CaseUnited StatesActive
The FCC attempted to sidestep environmental review and public participation concerning the deployment of 5G wireless infrastructure. NRDC and our allies challenged their moves in court–and won.

NRDC Litigation in Action