Fifth Circuit Still Has Path to Hear Big Cases in Trump Era

The Fifth Circuit won’t miss out on all major litigation during the next four years, even as the conservative appeals court is expected to lose its status as a go-to spot to challenge federal policies during Donald Trump’s upcoming presidential term.

The New Orleans-based appeals court heard major federal challenges during the first Trump administration. It struck down the Affordable Care Act in a ruling later overturned by the Supreme Court, and found that the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency was unconstitutional.

David Coale, the chair of the Dallas-based firm Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann’s appellate practice, said ...