Juliana v. U.S. - Ten Years of Impact
March 24, 2025
Friends, Partners and Colleagues,
Today, the United States Supreme Court denied the Juliana 21’s petition for certiorari, after a nearly decade-long legal battle.
At Our Children’s Trust, we're celebrating ten years of impact and the 21 young people who catalyzed a global movement.
Ten Years of Impact
Juliana v. United States was filed in August 2015 to secure children’s climate rights and protect future generations. The case faced more government opposition than any in history where the United States is a defendant, but nevertheless the Juliana 21 never backed down.
They fought for a decade across four presidential administrations and ignited a global movement for recognition of our fundamental climate rights.
A National Movement
More than 180 youth plaintiffs represented by Our Children’s Trust have followed in the Juliana 21’s footsteps. They've gone on to win the first constitutional climate case in U.S. history to go to trial with Held v. Montana, and achieve a groundbreaking settlement agreement in Hawai’i with Navahine v. Hawai’i Department of Transportation.
Juliana and the constitutional climate cases that have followed have set precedent, inspired the next generation of climate rights lawyers, and changed the paradigm on legal frameworks and strategies to re-examine children’s most fundamental rights in the context of their greatest threat today: the climate crisis.
Juliana rallied an intergenerational movement of support around the simplest and most radically transformative idea that children and future generations have climate rights—rights to life in a safe and livable climate. Since filing in 2015:
350k+ individuals worldwide signed petitions urging the White House and U.S. Department of Justice to let the case proceed to trial.
400+ organizations, such as Amnesty, Center for Biological Diversity, Climate Justice Alliance, Food & Water Watch, Fridays for Future, Friends of the Earth, GreenFaith, People vs. Fossil Fuels, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sierra Club, Third Act (see Bill McKibben’s video), and Zero Hour, endorsed petitions, letters and congressional resolutions in support of the Juliana plaintiffs and children’s climate rights.
100+ members of Congress cosponsored the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery resolution, including leading members Senators Merkley and Wyden and Representatives Schakowsky and Jayapal, along with Senators Booker, Markey, Sanders, Whitehouse, and Representatives Huffman, Khanna, Ocasio-Cortez, and Raskin.
45+ members of Congress signed five amicus (friend-of-the-court) briefs filed in the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court in support of the case.
Senator Cory Booker posted: “Young people are seeing their futures threatened by the climate crisis, and are leading in the fight to address it. They deserve to have their voices heard in court.”
Juliana’s story was captured in the Netflix documentary YOUTH v GOV, in young adult novels like The 21, in curricula from elementary to law schools across the country and around the world.
Youth Securing Climate Rights Globally
The legal framework established by Juliana has inspired over 60 youth-led climate lawsuits worldwide, against more than 50 countries and states securing big wins against governments from Colombia to Canada, from Germany to South Korea.
Take Action Today to Celebrate the Juliana 21!
Please join us in honoring the incredible leadership of the Juliana 21 and their ten years of impact!
Post a 15 - 60 second video message of support on your social media channels and tag @youthvgov. Speak from the heart, and share what Juliana has meant to you.
Not on Instagram? No problem—send your video message to emily@ourchildrenstrust.org and we will post it for you! Later, we will compile and share them with the Juliana plaintiffs! They deserve all our collective love and thanks.
You may also use the sample caption language or see OCT’s social media post below for talking points on the case.
Sample Social Media Caption:
SCOTUS ended the youth-led constitutional climate case Juliana v US. Today we CELEBRATE the 21 @youthvgov leaders who persevered for ~10 yrs fighting their govt for children’s climate rights. Let's continue their legacy for current & future generations! Read bit.ly/juliana-pr ✊💚
OCT’s Social Media Posts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X
Thank You, and Onwards
If you took action with the Juliana 21 today or over the course of the last ten years, we thank you. Your support powered their bravery and commitment for a decade. We’re honored to have represented the Juliana 21 and we’re grateful you’ve been with us on the journey.
Stick with Us for the Next Fight
Our Children’s Trust is developing a new federal case that will stand on the shoulders of every young person that’s fought for their climate rights, every loss, lesson learned, and win along the way. And it’s coming soon.
Thank you to the youth leading, the adults who have their backs, and to the judges who uphold democracy and our fundamental constitutional rights, even when faced with great adversity.
The Team at Our Children’s Trust