The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Hunter v. United States, a case scrutinizing the boundaries of appellate waivers in plea agreements for federal defendants. The discussions indicate the justices may be inclined to broaden the exceptions to such waivers, beyond those proposed by the government, which are confined to ineffective assistance of counsel…
The debate over birthright citizenship centers around a critical aspect of the 14th Amendment, which states that “all persons born … in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” The crux of this debate lies in the interpretation of “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” The common interpretation…
Last Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued emergency orders in two cases: Mirabelli v. Bonta and Malliotakis v. Williams, drawing unified criticism for allegedly bypassing necessary procedural steps to reach preferential outcomes. Both orders have sparked a consequential debate over the nature and operation of the Supreme Court’s emergency docket. Critics have suggested that the…
The question of whether the infamous leak of a draft opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case will ever be resolved remains unanswered. The matter remains a topic of interest not only due to the leak itself but also due to the impact it has had on both the Supreme Court and…
The legacy of Chief Justice Edward Douglass White remains a pivotal part of American judicial history, as explored in the SCOTUStoday entry for Friday, March 6. White, a seminal figure in the evolution of the United States Supreme Court, brings a rich tapestry of early American political history into focus. Appointed first as an associate…
A legal skirmish over the status of Syrian nationals in the United States has reached the country’s highest court as a group of these individuals have petitioned the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling that allows them to remain. This stems from a decision made in November 2025, when U.S. District Judge Katherine…
The Supreme Court recently entertained oral arguments in the case of Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, a pivotal matter addressing whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) preempts state laws that permit negligent hiring claims against freight brokers. This legal question has rallied significant interest from industry heavyweights and legal scholars,…
In a significant decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that New Jersey Transit can be sued outside its home state boundaries. This ruling came as a result of the cases Galette v. New Jersey Transit Corporation, concerning incidents where individuals were injured by New Jersey Transit buses in New York and Pennsylvania. Justice Sonia Sotomayor…
This Friday, the Supreme Court justices are slated to deliberate on a petition for review concerning a contentious church-property dispute that raises pertinent First Amendment questions. The case in question, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International v. Moon, stems from conflicts within the Unification Church following the 2012 death of its founder, Sun…
The Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision on Wednesday in the case of Urias-Orellana v. Bondi, siding with the federal government. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson authored the opinion, which clarified that federal courts of appeals are to employ a relatively deferential standard of review when assessing the Board of Immigration Appeals’ determinations regarding asylum seekers’…
In the case of Trump v. Barbara, the debate over birthright citizenship has brought attention to a significant aspect of constitutional interpretation: originalism. In this case, 33 of the 65 friend-of-the-court and party briefs on the merits have claimed an originalist standpoint, yet a detailed analysis exposes a disparity between the claim and the practice….
The phenomenon known as the “SCOTUS attorney switcheroo” highlights a significant, yet often unnoticed aspect of Supreme Court advocacy. This practice involves changing counsel when a case moves from lower courts to the Supreme Court. Although it may seem trivial, its implications reach deep into how cases are argued and decided by the justices. The…
“`html Speculation has swirled around Justice Samuel Alito following the announcement of his new book, So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country, with many questioning whether he is planning to retire from the bench. The book’s scheduled release on October 6, 2026, has led to conjecture on the timing,…
The Supreme Court continues to address its backlog of cert petitions, but progress remains slow. In the latest development, the justices denied review in several cases, marking a significant clean-up of challenges related to the federal ban on felons possessing firearms. Recently, the Court disposed of two lingering cases, Vincent v. Bondi and Thompson v….
The UK Supreme Court, established relatively recently in 2009, stands as the ultimate appellate tribunal for most legal matters in the United Kingdom. Unlike its predecessor, the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, the Supreme Court was created to further delineate the separation between legislative and judicial branches, reinforcing the doctrine of separation of…
In a recent installment of SCOTUSblog’s recurring series Civil Rights and Wrongs, the Supreme Court’s approach in two key cases has drawn attention and concern within the legal community. Both cases, Clark v. Sweeney and Klein v. Martin, involved summary reversals by the Court of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit’s decisions…
SCOTUS Discussion on Drug Use and Gun Ownership Law In an intriguing session on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court examined the complexities surrounding a federal law that forbids illegal drug users from gun ownership. The case, United States v. Hemani, prompted discussions where Justices explored scenarios involving both commonplace and rare substances in an effort…
The United States Supreme Court, in a recent decision, has sided with a group of parents from California challenging the state’s educational policies regarding transgender students. This decision emanates from a legal battle initiated by teachers and parents who opposed California school district protocols that purportedly bypass parental consent in matters of their children’s gender…
In a significant legal decision, the United States Supreme Court has approved a request from Republican parties and various stakeholders to pause an order by a New York state trial court that would mandate redrawing the state’s congressional map. This decision allows New York to proceed with the 2026 elections using its existing map, a…
The United States Supreme Court opted not to hear cases related to the payment of filing fees by indigent prisoners and the legality of firearm possession by felons, setting the stage for continued debate over these contentious issues. The announcement was made as part of a list of orders from the justices’ recent private conference….
The discourse surrounding birthright citizenship has turned its focus to a historical view on foundlings—babies of unknown parentage—highlighted in the context of the pending case Trump v. Barbara. In a society familiar with the biblical story of baby Moses and literary figures such as Tom Jones and Oliver Twist, foundlings have been deeply embedded in…
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deliberating on the constitutionality of a federal statute prohibiting illegal drug users from firearm possession. The case arises from the indictment of Ali Danial Hemani, a Texas resident found with a gun, marijuana, and cocaine in 2022. Hemani argues that the law infringes upon his Second Amendment rights, which…
In Hunter v. United States, the Supreme Court is poised to address the extent to which federal defendants can waive their right to appeal and the consequent implications of a district court’s statements at sentencing, even when the defendant has agreed to an appellate waiver. Background on Hunter’s Case Munson Hunter, who had engaged in…
In a recent discussion on the role of footnotes within Supreme Court opinions, the diversity of opinions among justices becomes evident, offering a unique perspective into the evolving nature of legal documentation. Historically, footnote usage was sparse, with Justices like Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and Benjamin Cardozo opting for opinions without heavy reliance on them….
The legal community is on alert as the Supreme Court of the United States prepares for the announcement of opinions slated for Wednesday, March 4. According to SCOTUSblog, these opinions are expected to address one or more of the argued cases from the current term. This comes at a time when several high-profile cases are…