Three years ago, in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Supreme Court ruled that government employees who are represented by a union but do not belong to that union cannot be required to pay a fee to cover the union’s contract negotiation costs. In Baisley v. International Association of Machinists… Read More
Justices tweak format of in-person oral arguments to allow time for taking turns
The Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that oral arguments will follow a slightly different plan when the justices return to the courtroom for in-person arguments next month. Instead of reverting entirely to the traditional “free for all” format for asking questions, the justices will adopt a hybrid approach that sets aside time for the justices… Read More
Major abortion case set for argument on Dec. 1
The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear argument on Dec. 1 in a challenge to a Mississippi law that bans almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was already positioned to be one of the highest-profile arguments of the 2021-22 term, because… Read More
Looking ahead to the long conference – Part 2
In two weeks, the justices will meet for the “long conference”: their first regularly scheduled conference since early July. They will consider thousands of petitions for review that have accumulated during that time, but they will only grant a few. This post highlights four of the cases distributed for the “long conference,” involving agency deference,… Read More
Court blocks execution, will weigh in on inmate’s religious-liberty claims
The Supreme Court agreed to postpone the execution of John Ramirez, who was scheduled to die on Wednesday night in Texas. The last-minute respite will allow the justices to fully consider Ramirez’s request that his pastor be allowed to physically touch Ramirez and audibly pray in the execution chamber while Ramirez is put to death…. Read More
Justices to hold in-person arguments in the fall
The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that the justices will return to the courtroom for oral arguments this fall. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the arguments will not be open to the public. Instead, the court will provide live audio of the arguments, as it has done since May 2020. The announcement about the… Read More
Texas inmate seeks stay of execution over request for pastor to minister to him in final moments
A Texas inmate asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to block his execution, arguing that the state’s refusal to allow his spiritual adviser to lay his hands on him and pray out loud in the execution chamber violates both the Constitution and a federal law protecting the religious freedom of people in prison. The request… Read More
Supreme Court leaves Texas abortion ban in place
Nearly 24 hours after a Texas law that bans nearly all abortions in the state went into effect, the Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed what it had previously only implied through its failure to act the night before: The court rejected a request to block enforcement of the law, which abortion providers say will bar… Read More
Texas abortion ban goes into effect after justices fail to act
The Supreme Court on Tuesday night took a step that anti-abortion activists have hoped for, and abortion-rights supporters have feared, since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg nearly a year ago. By failing to respond to a plea for them to intervene, the justices allowed a Texas law that bans nearly all abortions to… Read More
Abortion providers ask court to block Texas ban on abortion beginning at six weeks of pregnancy
A Texas law that bans abortions anytime a fetal heartbeat is detected will “immediately and catastrophically reduce abortion access in Texas” if it is allowed to take effect on Wednesday, a group of abortion providers told the Supreme Court on Monday. They asked the justices to intervene on an emergency basis and block the enforcement… Read More