Three-Minute Legal Talks: Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo

Signed into law in 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires fisheries operating within 200 nautical miles off the U.S. coast to allow federal observers onboard its vessels to collect data for preventing overfishing. In a potentially landmark Supreme Court case known as Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a group of fisheries from New England are challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s interpretation of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, asserting they are not required to pay the salaries of the observers.

At issue in Loper is the Chevron doctrine, which gives federal agencies, such as the National Marine Fisheries Service, the power to interpret any statute’s ambiguity that falls under its purview. As one of the most cited cases since it was issued four decades ago, Chevron’s fate is in limbo as the Supreme Court hears Loper during the 2023-24 session.

In three minutes, Sanne Knudsen, the Stimson Bullitt Endowed Professor of Environmental Law at UW Law, covers Loper and its potential impact on the Chevron doctrine.