SCOTUSblog

The article analyzes the distinct questioning styles of the nine Supreme Court justices based on data from 58 oral arguments in October Term 2025, which generated 5,095 questions. It highlights Chief Justice John Roberts' focus on 'limiting principles' to assess the long-term implications of legal arguments, exemplified by his questioning in Chatrie v. United States regarding geofence warrants.

The article examines the varying nature of dissents on the Supreme Court's emergency docket, highlighting that dissents range from brief notations to detailed opinions. It argues that tallying all forms of objections as dissents may overstate how often justices provide explanations, with half of recorded objections being bare votes without reasoning.

Democrats advocate for 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices through legislation, while increased threats to officials and scrutiny over prediction markets policies are highlighted. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse emphasizes the bill's role in maintaining public focus on judicial ethics.

The author defends the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, arguing it correctly upheld that the Voting Rights Act's Section 2 cannot require racial considerations in redistricting due to constitutional constraints. The essay criticizes academia's ideological alignment on race issues, citing Elena Kagan's advice to avoid race discrimination scholarship if opposing racial preferences.

SCOTUSblog highlights memorable live blog comments from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Supreme Court terms, including reader questions about clerks and tariffs. The article discusses recurring topics like the 'box count' and '#WaitingForAmy' during opinion announcements.

The court has 25 cases scheduled for the 2026-27 term, fewer than previous years but more than 2024. Senator Adam Schiff reintroduced bills to strengthen judicial ethics rules, including conflict-of-interest restrictions and public records access for the federal judiciary. President Trump signed orders to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian goods under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

The Supreme Court's 2021 Bruen decision requires modern gun laws to align with historical firearm regulation traditions to pass Second Amendment scrutiny. In Wolford v. Lopez, the Court struck down Hawaii's law requiring permission to carry guns on private public-access property, rejecting a Louisiana Black Code law as an analog due to its racist origins.

The Supreme Court's ruling on June 25 allowed the Trump administration to scale back the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, impacting Syrian, Haitian, and Yemeni nationals. The Department of Homeland Security urged TPS holders to accept a $2,600 payment and free flight home to avoid losing legal status. Judge Dale E. Ho lifted a block on Yemeni TPS termination, citing Supreme Court precedent on judicial review limitations.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case involving Ken Jouppi, an Alaskan pilot whose $95,000 airplane was seized for allegedly transporting a six-pack of beer to a dry village. Jouppi challenges the forfeiture under the Eighth Amendment’s excessive fines clause, after Alaska courts upheld the penalty.

Texas had the most cases argued before the Supreme Court during the 2025-26 term, with five cases involving Texans, while the next closest states had two. The cases focused on federal laws or precedents applicable beyond Texas, and appeals from the 5th Circuit, which frequently faces reversals by the Supreme Court, may contribute to Texas's prominence.

A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll shows 46% of Americans believe the Supreme Court rules on Trump administration policies based on political views rather than law, with 55% disapproving of the court's performance. The Trump administration seeks Supreme Court intervention to uphold its ban on transgender troops and rebuild tariffs previously struck down by the court.

Johnny Brown, the father of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, passed away at 80. He was a lawyer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools and influenced his daughter's interest in law, as detailed in her 2024 memoir 'Lovely One'.

The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara, rejecting President Trump’s executive order to narrow it. Justices Thomas and Gorsuch dissented, arguing the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause should focus on domicile and jurisdiction, framing the issue as an ideological debate about who qualifies as 'American.' Thomas criticized the majority’s interpretation as inconsistent with constitutional text and history.

The article discusses three under-addressed constitutional provisions—the 13th Amendment's exception clause, the Article IV guarantee clause, and the Third Amendment—and highlights how the Supreme Court has largely avoided interpreting them. It details the 13th Amendment's exception allowing involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, illustrated by historical cases like Lonzo Bailey's 1907 peonage conviction and the 1871 Ruffin v. Commonwealth decision.

Rebecca Slaughter lost her Supreme Court case challenging President Trump's removal from the Federal Trade Commission, with the court ruling in favor of Trump's authority. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson discussed her memoir in Fairbanks, and Trump announced new tariffs on Brazil.

The Supreme Court limited federal courts' authority to grant compassionate release under the First Step Act in Rutherford v. United States and Fernandez v. United States. The decisions emphasized Congress's role in criminal law and restricted lower courts from overriding Congressional judgments. The rulings addressed statutory interpretations of 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) and abrogated prior appellate court decisions allowing broad judicial discretion in sentence reductions.

Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress about the Supreme Court’s budget request, including additional security funds. Senator John Kennedy criticized the request, arguing the Court already has strong security. Separately, legislation to end birthright citizenship for children of unauthorized immigrants was introduced, and Senator Mike Lee is set to lead the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Trump administration requested the Supreme Court to order the 9th Circuit to reconsider its ruling upholding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans and Haitians. The 9th Circuit had previously blocked the termination of TPS designations for these countries, but the Supreme Court paused the lower court's order for Venezuela, allowing deportations. The Trump administration argues the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Mullin v. Doe limits judicial review of TPS decisions.

The Supreme Court's October 2025-26 Term included 16-17 'pure' criminal law cases, comprising 28-30% of its 57 total argued cases. Of these, 11 decisions favored criminal defendants or defense positions, continuing a trend from the prior term.

Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress regarding the Supreme Court’s budget and security measures. They highlighted increased security expenses following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision and shared personal experiences with threats, receiving bipartisan support for enhanced security.