April 13, 2026: Youth Plaintiffs Argue Case Before Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

The youth plaintiffs appeared at the Ninth Circuit Court in Portland, OR, asking the court to reinstate the case so they can proceed to trial and fully present their evidence that federal actions expanding fossil fuel development, suppressing clean energy, and restricting access to climate science violate their constitutional rights to life and liberty.  

Julia Olson, lead counsel to the plaintiffs and Co-Executive Director of Our Children’s Trust, argued that the district court wrongly treated the youth plaintiffs’ injuries as beyond judicial repair, even though they are asking for the kind of traditional relief courts grant every day: a declaration that the Executive Orders are unlawful and an injunction stopping their implementation. 

On the other side, the U.S. Department of Justice argued that federal courts are precluded from hearing cases where harms arise from climate change. 

Watch oral arguments here