Upsolve, Inc. et al v. James

Filing 20

LETTER addressed to Judge Paul A. Crotty from William R. Aronin, Counsel for Amicus Curiae Institute for Justice dated February 25, 2022 re: Pre-Motion Conference Request. Document filed by Institute for Justice..(Aronin, William)

Case 1:22-cv-00627-PAC Document 20 Filed 02/25/22 Page 1 of 2

February 25, 2022
VIA ECF WITH COURTESY COPY TO CHAMBERS
Honorable Paul A. Crotty
United States District Court
Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street, Chambers 1350
New York, NY 10007
Re:

Upsolve, Inc., et al. v. Letitia James, Attorney General of New York
Case No. 1:22-cv-00627-PAC
Pre-Motion Conference Request

Dear Judge Crotty:
In accordance with Your Honor’s Individual Rules of Practice, we respectfully submit
this pre-motion conference request on behalf of amicus curiae Institute for Justice.
The Institute for Justice seeks leave to file an amicus brief in support of Plaintiffs’
pending motion for preliminary injunction. The Institute is a nonprofit, public-interest law firm
dedicated to defending the foundations of a free society. As part of its mission to defend freedom
of speech, the Institute has challenged laws across the country that regulate a wide array of
occupational speech, including teletherapy, psychological advice, dietary advice, and veterinary
advice. Counsel for the Institute have also published extensively on the First Amendment status
of occupational speech.1 The Institute believes that its experience will help the Court understand

1

See, e.g., Paul Sherman, Occupational Speech & the First Amendment, 128 Harv. L. Rev. Forum 183
(Mar. 2015), available at https://harvardlawreview.org/2015/03/occupational-speech-and-the-firstamendment/; Robert McNamara & Paul Sherman, NIFLA v. Becerra: A Seismic Decision Protecting
Occupational Speech, 2018 Cato Sup. Ct. Rev. 197 (2017–18), available at
https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/supreme-court-review/2018/9/2018-cato-supremecourt-review-8.pdf; Paul Sherman & Robert McNamara, Censorship in Your Doctor’s Office, N.Y. Times
(Aug. 2, 2014) at 17, available at https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/02/opinion/censorship-in-yourdoctors-office.html.

Case 1:22-cv-00627-PAC Document 20 Filed 02/25/22 Page 2 of 2
Hon. Paul A. Crotty
February 25, 2022
Page 2

how the Supreme Court’s most recent case law applies to the First Amendment issues raised in
this case, the wider repercussions of this case, and the importance of granting the Plaintiffs’
motion for preliminary injunction.
Plaintiffs’ counsel has indicated that Plaintiffs consent to the filing of this amicus brief,
while Defendant’s counsel has indicated that Defendant takes no position.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ William R. Aronin
William R. Aronin (NY Bar No. 4820031)
INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE
901 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Robert J. McNamara (VA Bar No. 73208)*
INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE
901 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Paul M. Sherman (VA Bar No. 73410)*
INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE
901 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
*Motions for Admission Pro Hac Vice to be filed
Counsel for Amicus Curiae
Institute for Justice