Covering the Supreme Court and the Judiciary in (mostly) Plain English

This afternoon the justices announced that they had granted review in three new cases, involving issues ranging from patent and bankruptcy law to the federal law governing sex offenders. The justices did not act on several high-profile petitions for review, including a dispute over a cross on public land in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and… Read More

In recent years, Supreme Court has cut back drastically on lawsuits that seek to hold corporations responsible in U.S. courts for alleged human rights violations abroad. Next week the justices will hear oral argument in a case involving immunity for international organizations, like the United Nations and the World Bank, that could also limit similar… Read More

UPDATE: This post has been updated to include statements from the eight associate justices and three retired justices. Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, announced today that she has been diagnosed with dementia, “probably Alzheimer’s disease,” and that as her “condition has progressed,” she is “no longer… Read More

The Supreme Court gave the federal government a partial victory tonight in a dispute over discovery in the challenge to the government’s decision to reinstate a question about citizenship on the 2020 census. Without any publicly recorded objections, the justices kept on hold plans to depose Wilbur Ross, the Secretary of Commerce, about the decision…. Read More

The Supreme Court has once again been asked to weigh in on the case of a baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex marriage celebration because doing so would violate the baker’s religious beliefs. Less than five months ago, the justices issued a narrow ruling in the case of Jack Phillips, a… Read More

During the week of October 15, things were fairly quiet at the Supreme Court, where the justices issued orders but did not take the bench. But Chief Justice John Roberts gave a speech in Minnesota, seeking to assuage concerns that the court is a political institution. I cover the Roberts speech and the rest of… Read More

UPDATE: On Friday, October 19, Chief Justice John Roberts put discovery and the trial on hold until the plaintiffs respond to the government’s request and the justices can rule on that request. The plaintiffs’ response is due on Wednesday, October 24, at 3 p.m.  In July, the Supreme Court  declined to intervene in a lawsuit filed by… Read More

Thirteen days after Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as the Supreme Court’s newest associate justice, the court today issued a new set of circuit justice assignments, which take effect immediately. The new list was the second one in the past few months, replacing the assignment list issued after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired on July 31, leaving… Read More

This morning the Supreme Court issued orders from the justices’ private conference last week – the first one in which the court’s newest justice, Brett Kavanaugh, participated. On Friday afternoon, the justices had announced that they had granted review in one new case, involving the application of the First Amendment to the private operator of… Read More

On October 9, Justice Brett Kavanaugh took the bench for the first time to hear oral arguments. In this podcast, I discuss the week’s orders, oral arguments, and — perhaps most importantly — emergency appeals.