Circuit Split Alerter

Stay informed about federal circuit court conflicts that shape American law

What are Circuit Splits?

Circuit splits occur when different Federal Circuit Courts reach conflicting decisions on similar legal questions. These conflicts often signal cases ripe for Supreme Court review.

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Our system automatically monitors Federal Circuit Court opinions, identifies potential splits using AI analysis, and alerts legal professionals to important developments.

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Recent Circuit Splits
New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association v. Lutnick
SplitScore: 68/100

Legal Issue:

Whether the ‘pocket-veto’ provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. § 1854(c)(3) and (h)) violate the Appointments Clause and, if so, whether they must be severed and/or plaintiffs are entitled to injunctive relief when those provisions were not invoked in the challenged rulemaking.
Apr 30, 2026Circuit 1conflicting withCircuit 5conflicting withCircuit 3
Gordon-Darby Holdings, Inc. v. Quinn
SplitScore: 42/100

Legal Issue:

Whether the Clean Air Act permits citizen suits against state regulators acting in their regulatory capacity under 42 U.S.C. § 7604/§7605.
Apr 30, 2026Circuit 1conflicting withCircuit 3conflicting withCircuit 6
JAMES SCOTT V. RON BROOMFIELD
SplitScore: 57/100

Legal Issue:

Whether federal habeas courts may grant relief on an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim based on the cumulative prejudice of multiple alleged attorney errors when no single error is independently prejudicial under Strickland and AEDPA.
Apr 29, 2026Circuit 9conflicting withCircuit 5Circuit 6Circuit 8Circuit 11
US v. Mao
SplitScore: 72/100

Legal Issue:

Whether inchoate drug offenses such as conspiracy qualify as a “controlled substance offense” under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) for purposes of the career-offender enhancement.
Apr 29, 2026Circuit 1Circuit 2Circuit 5Circuit 7Circuit 8Circuit 10conflicting withCircuit 4Circuit 9Circuit 11
Jorge Oxlaj-Perez v. Todd Blanche -Board of Immigration Appeals
SplitScore: 48/100

Legal Issue:

Whether the 30-day deadline in 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(1) is subject to equitable tolling after the Supreme Court’s decision in Riley v. Bondi.
Apr 29, 2026Circuit 6conflicting withCircuit 4Circuit 5Circuit 9
Jose Baltazar Us v. Todd Blanche -Board of Immigration Appeals
SplitScore: 62/100

Legal Issue:

Proper standard of review (IIRIRA substantial-evidence vs. clear-error) for appellate courts assessing the Board of Immigration Appeals’ determination that removal would not cause “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” under 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b)(1)(D).
Apr 29, 2026Circuit 6Circuit 3Circuit 8Circuit 9Circuit 11conflicting withCircuit 2
Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC v. NLRB
SplitScore: 60/100

Legal Issue:

Whether the National Labor Relations Board possesses statutory authority under 29 U.S.C. § 160(c) to award compensation for "foreseeable pecuniary harms" (so-called "Thryv remedies") as part of its make-whole relief.
Apr 28, 2026DC Circuitconflicting withCircuit 3Circuit 5Circuit 6conflicting withCircuit 9
USA v. Aaron Lyons
SplitScore: 67/100

Legal Issue:

Whether Reed v. Ross's second category of novelty continues to provide 'cause' to excuse a procedural default on collateral review after Bousley v. United States.
Apr 28, 2026Circuit 3Circuit 1Circuit 5Circuit 6Circuit 7Circuit 8Circuit 10conflicting withCircuit 9
DOE 1, ET AL. V. META PLATFORMS, INC.
SplitScore: 61/100

Legal Issue:

Whether § 230 of the Communications Decency Act immunizes social-media platforms from liability for harms allegedly caused by their algorithmic recommendation and amplification of third-party content.
Apr 28, 2026Circuit 9Circuit 2conflicting withCircuit 3
PUBLIC INTEREST LEGAL FOUNDATION, INC. V. NAGO
SplitScore: 59/100

Legal Issue:

Whether a statewide voter-registration list is a “record[] concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters” that must be disclosed under § 20507(i)(1) of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
Apr 28, 2026Circuit 9conflicting withCircuit 1Circuit 10
Bobby Goddard v. Michael Burnett
SplitScore: 43/100

Legal Issue:

Whether a Chapter 13 debtor’s technical compliance with 11 U.S.C. §1325(b)’s disposable-income (means-test) provision prevents a bankruptcy court from denying confirmation of the plan under §1325(a)(3)’s good-faith requirement when the debtor seeks to retain luxury collateral.
Apr 28, 2026Circuit 4conflicting withCircuit 9
Berkley Regional Ins. Co. v. Amazon.com, Inc.
SplitScore: 51/100

Legal Issue:

Whether Amazon, acting as an online marketplace that lists and fulfills orders for third-party products, qualifies as a "seller" or "distributor" subject to strict products liability.
Apr 27, 2026Circuit 8conflicting withCircuit 5conflicting withCircuit 4
Tom Hutto v. City of Rock Hill
SplitScore: 34/100

Legal Issue:

What is the correct standard of appellate review for a district court’s ruling that upholds the invocation of legislative privilege by state or local officials?
Apr 27, 2026Circuit 4conflicting withCircuit 5Circuit 11conflicting withCircuit 9
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement v. Kimberly Reynolds
SplitScore: 60/100

Legal Issue:

Whether a state may criminalize the use of recording devices while a person is trespassing on private property that is otherwise open to the public without violating the First Amendment.
Apr 23, 2026Circuit 8conflicting withCircuit 4Circuit 7
Lopez Martinez v. Blanche
SplitScore: 77/100

Legal Issue:

Whether the ‘one central reason’ causation standard or the more lenient ‘a reason’ standard governs withholding-of-removal claims under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A).
Apr 23, 2026Circuit 1conflicting withCircuit 5Circuit 6Circuit 7Circuit 8Circuit 10Circuit 11conflicting withCircuit 2Circuit 3Circuit 4Circuit 9