Is Chief Justice Roberts moderating from the front?

Many commentators have complained that Chief Justice John Roberts has shown himself not to be a true institutionalist but rather a conservative ideologue. Hillary Clinton recently provided an example, suggesting that the chief justice had never been an institutionalist at all. There is something right about this view, but it […]

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Is the Roberts court hyperopic or willfully blind?

Please note that SCOTUS Outside Opinions constitute the views of outside contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. Speaking at a Federalist Society event the day the Supreme Court wrapped up its latest term, attorney Kannon Shanmugam described an “emerging theme” in the case results. “On […]

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The powerful, resilient, independent Supreme Court

Please note that SCOTUS Outside Opinions constitute the views of outside contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. About a year ago the Trump administration appeared to have defied legal restraints on the presidency to the point of a “constitutional crisis.” And in the eyes of […]

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Looking back and looking ahead

Chief Justice John Marshall died on this day in 1835, at age 79. He served on the court for more than 34 years and remains the longest-serving chief justice. It’s no wonder, then, that we needed two Closer Looks to tell Marshall’s life story. On a separate note, mark your […]

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The Trump term?

The Supreme Court’s 2025-26 term will likely be remembered as one of the most consequential in recent memory. This was certainly the case for President Donald Trump, who was the named party in four of the term’s biggest cases and even became the first sitting president to attend an oral […]

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A tale of two justices and their children’s books

Now that the court has handed down its final opinions in argued cases for the 2025-26 term, Supreme Court observers must account not only for what has been decided but, on a lighter note, the most recent children’s book written by a justice. And as we celebrate the 250th anniversary […]

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250 and the court

The Supreme Court may not have reached its 250th birthday yet (that’ll take another 13 or so years), but it has played a major role in shaping how the country understands the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence. Happy Independence Day weekend to all. In yesterday’s newsletter, we featured […]

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An immigration law error in the court’s asylum decision threatens immigration courts

The Supreme Court’s decision last week blocking migrants stopped at the international boundary from applying for asylum turns on the text of federal immigration law. But the majority opinion reveals that the justices don’t understand the border-crossing process that Congress created. Perhaps if they had, the justices in the majority […]

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