Davis v. Saul, Commissioner of Social Security

Questions presented

SCOTUS records, cert granted 9 Nov 2020

Whether a claimant seeking disability benefits or supplemental security income under the Social Security Act must exhaust an Appointments Clause challenge with the administrative law judge whose appointment the claimant is challenging in order to obtain judicial review of that challenge.

Opinion summary

Etalia.ai summary of the majority opinion

The case addressed whether claimants seeking disability benefits under the Social Security Act must raise an Appointments Clause challenge at the administrative level to preserve it for judicial review. The Supreme Court ruled that such challenges do not need to be raised during administrative proceedings before being brought in federal court. This decision stemmed from a broader question about when and how constitutional claims should be preserved for appeal, particularly concerning the appointment of Administrative Law Judges (ALJs). The ruling was significant because it allowed individuals who had their cases heard by improperly appointed ALJs—prior to those appointments being ratified—to still have their claims reviewed without having previously objected on these grounds during initial hearings.