Today marks the anniversary of a historic moment: on October 2, 1967, Justice Thurgood Marshall was sworn in, becoming the first Black Supreme Court justice. Successors Clarence Thomas and Ketanji Brown Jackson currently sit on the bench, continuing his legacy.
- Gallup’s latest poll indicates a significant shift in public perception, with a record 43% of Americans viewing the Supreme Court as too conservative. Notably, partisan views differ drastically, with 75% of Democrats agreeing with this view, while a majority of Republicans (66%) believe the court’s current ideological stance is “about right.”
- In ongoing debates, Justice Brett Kavanaugh has emerged as a key interpreter of the court’s emergency docket. Amid controversies involving brief, unsigned orders, Kavanaugh’s concurring opinions provide crucial insights and rationales behind these decisions.
- The debut of Reynolds v. ABB was recently delayed due to a diminished National Labor Relations Board. The firing of Democrat Gwynne Wilcox has left the board unable to function effectively, stalling over 50 union election appeals.
- According to Bloomberg Law, the federal judiciary’s operations are secure through October 17 despite the government shutdown, meaning employees will receive their salaries as scheduled.
- Looking ahead to the term’s thematic discussions, the implications of presidential powers remain under scrutiny. Erwin Chemerinsky of the Los Angeles Times raises concerns over the court’s role in either checking or enabling executive overreach.
The court has also agreed to hear arguments in January concerning President Trump’s attempt to remove Lisa Cook from her post as a Federal Reserve governor. Notably, Cook will retain her position pending the court’s decision.
As the new judicial term commences on October 6, attention turns to notable cases, including Villarreal v. Texas and Berk v. Choy, both of which will address significant legal questions about attorney-client communications and state malpractice statutes, respectively.
For further details, refer to the full coverage on SCOTUSblog.