Relistpalooza: fifty new relists, six big fights

The Supreme Court’s relist rolls served up the term’s first two summary reversals last week. As we have observed, the more times a case has been relisted, the likelier it is to be resolved by some kind of summary order. We saw that in five-time relist Pitts v. Mississippi, where […]

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Trump v. Slaughter: An explainer

On Monday, Dec. 8, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump v. Slaughter, a battle that has been brewing, on one hand, since soon after President Donald Trump took office in January and, on the other hand, for years. At the center of the battle are laws that […]

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Morrison v. Olson and the triumph of the unitary executive theory

Courtly Observations is a recurring series by Erwin Chemerinsky that focuses on what the Supreme Court’s decisions will mean for the law, for lawyers and lower courts, and for people’s lives. Please note that the views of outside contributors do not reflect the official opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. Rarely […]

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SCOTUStoday for Wednesday, December 3

Are you on the hunt for books this holiday season (whether to read yourself while curled up by a cozy fire or as a gift for others)? Consider revisiting Mathew Rosengart’s SCOTUSblog piece about former Justice David Souter’s top recommendations for shopping inspiration. SCOTUS Quick Hits The court could issue […]

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Court appears sympathetic to faith-based pregnancy centers’ argument

The Supreme Court on Tuesday was sympathetic to a group of faith-based pregnancy centers in their quest to challenge New Jersey’s demand for information about the group’s fundraising practices in federal court. The state contends that the group, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, must litigate its claims in state court, […]

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Court seems dubious of billion-dollar judgment for copyright infringement

The arguments yesterday, Dec. 1, in Cox Communications v. Sony Entertainment confronted one of the central features of internet behavior as it has developed this century: the seemingly ineradicable interest of users in consuming copyrighted media – movies, music, and the like – without permission of the content providers. In this case, […]

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Religious schools and religious rites

Rights and Responsibilities is a recurring series by Richard Garnett on legal education, the role of the courts in our constitutional structure, and the law of religious freedom and free expression. Please note that the views of outside contributors do not reflect the official opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. Last […]

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Court debates asylum determinations

In Urias-Orellana v. Bondi, the Supreme Court on Monday considered whether federal courts of appeals should make their own determination on whether an asylum seeker experienced persecution, or leave it to the Board of Immigration Appeals, in a case that will clarify the circuit courts’ roles in the immigration system.  The dispute began […]

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SCOTUStoday for Tuesday, December 2

On this day in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt nominated Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. to the Supreme Court. Holmes went on to serve as an associate justice for nearly 30 years, retiring in 1932 at age 90. Holmes still holds the record for being the oldest person to serve on the […]

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The long and short of Supreme Court oral arguments

Empirical SCOTUS is a recurring series by Adam Feldman that looks at Supreme Court data, primarily in the form of opinions and oral arguments, to provide insights into the justices’ decision making and what we can expect from the court in the future. When Daniel Webster stood before the Supreme Court in 1824 […]

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