Ashcroft v. Iqbal (U.S. 2008): EJS joined 32 other civil rights groups in an amicus brief in support of Iqbal urging the United States Supreme Court to reject a heightened pleading standard in situations where a plaintiff seeks to hold accountable “high ranking” officials. Amici argued that the new standard would overprotect government officials while undervaluing the constitutional rights of plaintiffs and degrading the rule of law. Additionally, amici argued that the Second Circuit, by adopting a “plausibility” standard, struck the right balance between Iqbal’s litigation interests and protecting defendants from improper liability and needless discovery. The brief asserted that neither national security nor the inclusion of “high-ranking officials” justified special pleading rules.