Worth, Dennis R. v. Jackson, Alphonso

Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge TATEL.

TATEL, Circuit Judge.

Three inter-related judicial doctrines— standing, mootness, and ripeness — ensure that federal courts assert jurisdiction only over “Cases” and “Controversies.” U.S. Const, art. Ill, § 2. In a rare justiciability hat trick, this case implicates all three. At issue is a white male employee’s challenge to a government agency’s affirmative action policy that allegedly deprives him of the opportunity to compete for job openings on an even playing field. The employee makes two claims, but we have jurisdiction over neither. The…