Foundlings – babies born of unknown parentage – loomed large in the imagination of mid-19th century Americans, who dutifully read their Bibles and thought about baby Moses in a basket. Americans in the Civil War era also read novels both comic and dramatic, featuring eponymous foundlings such as Henry Fielding’s […]

Over the objections of the court’s three Democratic appointees, the Supreme Court on Monday morning declined to hear a case involving the payment of filing fees by indigent prisoners. The announcement was part of a list of orders released on Monday from the justices’ private conference on Friday, Feb. 27. […]

The Supreme Court on Monday was skeptical that the indictment of a Texas man on charges that he violated a federal law prohibiting the possession of a gun by the users of illegal drugs could go forward. Ali Danial Hemani argued that the law violates the Second Amendment – which […]

In Hunter v. United States, to be argued on Tuesday, March 3, the Supreme Court will address how broad federal defendants’ waivers of their right to appeal can be and the effect of a district court’s statement at sentencing that the defendant may appeal when he previously agreed to an […]

If you are looking for a great introduction to this morning’s argument in United States v. Hemani, please check out this animated explainer, done in partnership with Briefly. Our live blog begins at 9:30 a.m. EST, with argument to start at approximately 10 a.m. At the Court On Friday, the […]

We will be live blogging as the court potentially releases opinions in one or more argued cases from the current term. Click here for a list of FAQs about opinion announcements. Note: A login is not required to participate in the chat. The post Announcement of opinions for Wednesday, March […]

In Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, to be argued on Wednesday, March 4, the court will consider whether a federal law initially designed to deal with state trucking regulations supersedes state common-law claims holding freight brokers liable for negligently selecting dangerous motor carriers or drivers. That may not sound particularly fascinating, […]

Clear Statements is a recurring series by Abbe R. Gluck on civil litigation and the modern regulatory and statutory state. The Supreme Court’s decision striking down the president’s tariffs last week is generating a lot of chatter in wonky circles about the inside-baseball debate among the justices about the “major questions” […]

The argument yesterday in Pung v Isabella County had two distinct threads. On the one hand, the justices who discussed the question presented seemed to have no doubt that they would reject the idea that the customary practice of selling real estate at an auction to recover delinquent taxes amounts […]

We’re thrilled to introduce the first in a series of animated videos, done in partnership with Briefly, on some of the most important upcoming cases of the current term. This first video is an introduction to United States v. Hemani. Watch it here. Week in Review The court heard four arguments this […]