The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on April 1 in Trump v. Barbara, a case that challenges former President Donald Trump’s executive order to curb birthright citizenship in the United States. This order, issued on January 20, 2025, sought to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. if their…
The ongoing debate among legal scholars and justices regarding the compatibility of originalism and traditionalism remains a salient issue in constitutional interpretation. Originalists, who maintain that constitutional provisions should be understood as they were at the time of ratification, often balk at incorporating post-ratification practices into their analysis. However, as recent discussions on SCOTUSblog indicate,…
The United States Supreme Court has recently provided clarity on the cases it intends to hear during the current term. Despite speculation from legal analysts, the court appears to have finalized its docket with the addition of Salazar v. Paramount Global. This case examines the interpretation of a federal law from 1988 designed to protect…
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will remain a focal point of legal debate this weekend with significant ongoing cases and new readings available for those interested in the judiciary. This January 30th edition of SCOTUStoday comes amidst momentous legal discussions on various fronts. One such discussion involves former Justice Robert H. Jackson,…
In a recent judicial development, California is pressing the Supreme Court to maintain a new congressional map designed to potentially grant Democrats five additional seats in the House of Representatives. This move is positioned as a strategic response to counterbalance Republican gains made possible by a similar redistricting action in Texas. The debate arises amidst…
On November 5, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the contentious case challenging President Donald Trump’s authority to levy broad tariffs through a series of executive orders enacted in 2025. As is frequently the case with high-stakes litigation, the court’s ruling will be pivotal for U.S. importers burdened with substantial monthly tariff payments. However,…
Yesterday marked the 54th birthday of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, currently the youngest justice serving on the U.S. Supreme Court. Amidst the daily developments, the court on Wednesday refused a stay of execution for Charles Victor Thompson, who was executed hours later in Texas. Thompson was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend,…
As the United States Supreme Court prepares for its private conference on February 20, 2026, one of the high-profile petitions for review on their agenda will be from former President Donald Trump. He seeks intervention in a case resulting in a $5 million verdict against him, stemming from a civil suit initiated by E. Jean…
The current state of Second Amendment jurisprudence is widely seen as problematic, with significant confusion pervading the legal landscape. This stems from a notable lack of clarity in Supreme Court decisions, which is particularly visible in United States v. Rahimi, where Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson highlighted the struggles of lower courts in interpreting Second Amendment…
As judicial observers increasingly turn an analytical eye towards the less publicized aspects of the U.S. Supreme Court, the introduction of the first Interim Relief Docket Stat Pack marks a significant milestone in Supreme Court scholarship. While the court’s merits docket enjoys comprehensive scrutiny, its interim relief or “shadow” docket often eludes such attention. This…
On January 28, 1916, Justice Louis Brandeis, renowned for being the first Jewish justice, was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Woodrow Wilson. This historic moment was celebrated by SCOTUSblog executive editor Zach Shemtob in a presentation on the history and the future trajectory of Jewish justices. As we navigate today’s judicial landscape, the…
The independence of federal agencies, particularly the Federal Reserve, remains a focal point of legal discourse as the Supreme Court continues to redefine the landscape of agency autonomy. The court’s evolving jurisprudence on this matter is not simply about reducing the functionality of independent agencies in alignment with the Humphrey’s Executor v. United States ruling,…
On the morning of January 9, legal professionals across the nation anticipated a pivotal decision from the Supreme Court concerning President Trump’s tariffs. However, the anticipated announcement redirected to a less expected case, Bowe v. United States, highlighting what might initially seem as an unremarkable case over post-conviction relief. Yet, such instances are not uncommon…
On this Tuesday, the Supreme Court marked the birthday of Chief Justice John Roberts, who was born in 1955 and has been serving since 2005. As the court’s sessions proceed, several notable decisions and announcements have captured the attention of legal professionals nationwide. This includes the court’s decision to hear arguments in Salazar v. Paramount…
The Supreme Court has taken a critical step in addressing digital privacy by agreeing to hear Salazar v. Paramount Global, a case that revolves around the interpretation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). Originally passed to prevent public disclosure of videotape rental histories, the law now faces scrutiny in the digital era. This lawsuit…
The United States Supreme Court is poised to address a pivotal matter pertaining to the powers of immigration officials. The court has agreed to consider a case questioning whether immigration agents can base decisions on criminal charges alone when assessing whether lawful permanent residents (LPRs) should be considered removable. The case, Bondi v. Lau, will…
The current term of the U.S. Supreme Court has already tackled a substantial number of cases involving criminal law, providing significant insights into the Court’s approach this year. As of January, six opinions have been delivered in criminal law cases, with four of them favoring the criminal defendant. This includes unanimous decisions which suggest a…
“`html On this day in 1898, former Supreme Court Justice Joseph McKenna was sworn in, a notable event that remains part of judiciary history. According to Oyez, McKenna was seen by some contemporaries as lacking the judicial strength expected for his Supreme Court role. His appointment faced criticism, including public declarations from two federal trial…
The Trump administration has formally requested that the U.S. Supreme Court invalidate California’s newly adopted congressional redistricting map. This move follows closely on the heels of the administration’s previous efforts in support of Texas’s redistricting plans, which had been impeded by lower court rulings perceived as racially discriminatory. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer advised…
The legal landscape of the United States is once again contending with the intersection of religion and public education, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit revisits the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. In an en banc session, the cases of Roake v. Brumley, challenging Louisiana’s House Bill…
As the U.S. Supreme Court progresses through its current term, a critical procedural window is approaching its closure. This window determines the cases that will be heard and decided by the end of June, a matter of intense interest for litigants who have lost in lower courts and seek a definitive ruling from the nation’s…
Today marks the anniversary of the birth of former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, born on this day in 1915. Justice Stewart remains renowned for his phrase, “I know it when I see it,” which he used to characterize the challenges of defining “hard core pornography” in the context of freedom of expression limitations. The…
During Tuesday’s proceedings in the case of M&K Employee Solutions v Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund, the U.S. Supreme Court justices exhibited skepticism about mandating actuaries to adhere to outdated assumptions for assessing liabilities in multiemployer pension plans. This case involves multiemployer pension plans, which contrast significantly with the more common defined-contribution plans…
In the context of a turbulent second term for former President Donald Trump, characterized by an unprecedented expansion of presidential powers and a challenge to the constitutional equilibrium between governmental branches, the limitations of relying solely on the Supreme Court to safeguard American democracy are becoming increasingly apparent. While the court has taken steps—such as…
The intersection of religious expression and public space continues to be a contentious issue, as exemplified by the ongoing case in Quincy, Massachusetts. The city’s decision to install statues of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Florian on its new public-safety building has sparked a legal battle over the implications for church-state separation. The controversy…