The outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States has transformed from a looming risk to an outright pandemic. The CDC has emphasized the need to engage in “social distancing” and avoid group settings in order to combat the spread of the virus. The government-announced public and private restrictions become seemingly more stringent with each [...]
An Omaha man who killed multiple people to honor an ancient Egyptian god has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review his death sentence. Nikko Jenkins, a 33-year-old diagnosed with bipolar and schizoaffective disorders, is one of 12 men on Nebraska's death row. He blamed the State for letting him out of prison six years [...]
Though Supreme Court Justices are a bright bunch they are not renowned for their technological savvy. In fact, the Court itself has been openly technophobic at times. In his 2014 year-end report on the judiciary, Chief Justice Roberts explained that “[t]he courts will always be prudent whenever it comes to embracing the ‘next big [...]
This is the second post in our multi-part series which covers the history of the Court—from establishment and its first 100 years to landmark cases and the Court’s future. Our first installment detailing the Court’s establishment is available here. * * * At its founding the United States Supreme Court was an appellate court—a [...]
The Supreme Court is often described as distinctly American in concept and function. We look to it as the last resort in search of justice, equality, and validation of our political views. It’s where we wage our most serious legal battles––from voting disputes and privacy issues to establishing the rights of women and minorities. But [...]
A complaint from an intelligence community whistleblower last month led to reports that focused on interactions between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During their call, Trump is alleged to have repeatedly pressed the Ukrainian government to investigate political rival Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter, who served as director of a Ukrainian energy [...]
The Supreme Court appeared to be closely divided after hearing two hours of oral argument this week in three LGBTQ federal law cases. Two of those cases, No. 17-1618, Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda and No. 17-1623, Bostock v. Clayton County, ask whether a worker can be fired based on their sexual orientation. The third, No. 18-107, R.G. & [...]
Starting Monday, attorneys who appear before the Court are allotted two minutes of uninterrupted time at the beginning of oral argument. It may not seem like much, but those familiar with recent trends recognize it as a significant departure from longstanding courtroom procedure. Today’s Supreme Court is known as a “hot bench,” wherein some [...]
Last September, 20 million people watched a combative Brett Kavanaugh defend himself and his judicial record during a contentious week of confirmation hearings. The Senate ultimately confirmed Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in a 50-48 vote, largely split down party lines. With Kavanaugh’s second term set to begin October 1, we take a look at [...]
The Supreme Court will return October 1 to a backload of approximately 1,800 petitions that have piled up over the summer. Almost every one of them will be denied. Also known as the “Long Conference,” the Justices’ first meeting after summer recess is particularly brutal for cert. seekers who filed a petition in the preceding [...]