Skrmetti and birth equality (Part V): How the case should have been analyzed

Brothers in Law is a recurring series by brothers Akhil and Vikram Amar, with special emphasis on measuring what the Supreme Court says against what the Constitution itself says. For more content from Akhil and Vikram, please see Akhil’s free weekly podcast, “Amarica’s Constitution,” Vikram’s regular columns on Justia, and Akhil’s new book, Born Equal: […]

Read More

SCOTUStoday for Monday, December 29

On this day in 1971, former Justice John Marshall Harlan II died at age 72, just three months after retiring from the court due to declining health. Among his many accomplishments, Harlan is the namesake (along with Justice John Marshall Harlan I) for Executive Editor Zach Shemtob’s first child (and, […]

Read More

Reviving lenity

Civil Rights and Wrongs is a recurring series by Daniel Harawa covering criminal justice and civil rights cases before the court. Please note that the views of outside contributors do not reflect the official opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. For centuries, a doctrine known as the rule of lenity […]

Read More

SCOTUStoday for Wednesday, December 24

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! SCOTUStoday will be back in your inboxes on Monday, Dec. 29. We’ll be sending abridged editions from Monday to Wednesday, Dec. 31, and then taking that Thursday and Friday off. We will resume our regularly scheduled programming on Monday, Jan. 5. SCOTUS Quick […]

Read More

The Supreme Court’s “reindeer rule”

Each holiday season, as peppermint mochas return to coffee shop menus and mall Santas take their posts, a familiar kind of religious freedom conflict appears in the news: disputes over nativity scenes. Specifically, communities across the country have battled and are battling over whether depictions of the biblical story of […]

Read More

Out of the shadows

Nuts and Bolts is a recurring series by Stephen Wermiel providing insights into the mechanics of how the Supreme Court works. Discussion of the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” is everywhere. But why exactly is this area of the court’s work attracting so much attention, and why now? Explanations vary. But […]

Read More

The worst Supreme Court case you’ve never heard of, and what it tells us about Trump’s immigration enforcement

Cases and Controversies is a recurring series by Carolyn Shapiro, primarily focusing on the effects of the Supreme Court’s rulings, opinions, and procedures on the law, on other institutions, and on our constitutional democracy more generally. Please note that the views of outside contributors do not reflect the official opinions of […]

Read More

SCOTUStoday for Tuesday, December 23

The first time a Christmas tree was placed in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court Building was 60 years ago, in 1965. “The Court has continued this holiday tradition ever since, with decorations added by Court employees. This year’s tree is a 30-foot-tall Concolor Fir from Swanton, Maryland,” according […]

Read More