PPL Montana, LLC v. Montana

Holding: The Montana Supreme Court’s ruling that the state of Montana owns and may charge for use of the riverbeds at issue was based on an infirm legal understanding of the Court’s rules of navigability for title un­der the equal-footing doctrine.

Judgment: Reversed, 9-0, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy on February 22, 2012.

Briefs and Documents

Merits Briefs for the Petitioner

• Brief for  PPL Montana, LLC
• Reply brief for PPL Montana, LLC

Amicus Briefs in Support of the Petitioner

• Brief for the United States of America
• Brief for The Creekside Coalition et al.
• Brief for Freeport-McMoran Corporation et al.
• Brief for the Mountain States Legal Foundation and the Utah Farm Bureau Federation
• Brief for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation et al.
• Brief for Professors John L. Allen et al.
• Brief for American Petroleum Institute et al.
• Brief for Montana Water Resources Association et al.
• Brief for Wilbur and Kathryn Hardy et al.

 Merits Briefs for the Respondent

• Brief for Montana

Amicus Briefs in Support of the Respondent

• Brief for Stephanie Ambrose Tubbs
• Brief for the National Wildlife Federation et al.
• Brief for the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance et al.
• Brief for Oregon et al.

Certiorari-stage documents

• Opinion below (Supreme Court of Montana)

• Petition for certiorari
• Brief in opposition
• Amicus brief of History Professors et al.
• Amicus brief of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation and the Cato Institute
• Amicus brief of the Edison Electric Institute et al.
• Amicus brief of the Montana Water Resources Association 
• Petitioner’s reply