The Supreme Court saved some of the year's most politically explosive decisions for the end of its term. As the next few weeks unfold, the justices will render their rulings on a range of contentious issues, including President Joe Biden's plan to reduce student debt, a case involving a religious website designer refusing to create [...]
Between now and the end of June, the Court will release opinions in 24 cases. Two hot-button political issues have garnered the most attention: (1) whether the Trump administration can put a citizenship question on the 2020 census, and (2) whether federal courts can strike down voting maps as excessively partisan. Though we have no [...]
Legal commentators have long speculated that Supreme Court Justices prefer to release their most controversial opinions at the end of each term before embarking on summer recess to travel, teach, and write. For the fifth straight term, however, the Court has more than half of its opinions still outstanding at this point of the [...]
The overwhelming majority of cases decided by federal courts of appeals and state supreme courts are not credible candidates for certiorari. Here’s a helpful cheat sheet regarding Supreme Court grant rates: In Forma Pauperis petitions: .1% Booklet format petitions: 4% Percentage of merits-docket comprised of Cockle petitions: 14% Below you’ll find a [...]
When the Supreme Court opened its 2014 Term on Monday, October 6, it also unveiled a new website. The revamped site contains a reorganized, navigable homepage menu, links to transcript and oral argument audio files, and improved mobile browser accessibility. Also of note, per Lyle Denniston of SCOTUSblog, the Court has decided to make two [...]