Monthly Archives: May 2013

Affirmative Action, OT 2012, Same Sex Marriage

Recapping the Same-Sex Marriage and Affirmative Action Cases

Video

Case:

Hollingsworth v. Perry

If you’re looking to refresh your memory on some of the big cases still awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision, take a look at the videos provided by Chicago-Kent’s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS).

Same-sex marriage

Discover information on the politics, the background, and the issues involved in the two same-sex marriage cases before the Supreme Court in our Deep Dive. These videos discuss the basics of both Hollingsworth v. Perry (the Prop 8 case) and United States v. Windsor (the DOMA case).

Affirmative action

Professors Carolyn Shapiro (ISCOTUS Director and Associate Professor of Law) and Sheldon Nahmod (Distinguished Professor of Law) discuss the details in Fisher v. University of Texas.

The Arguments

The Background

To stay updated with the latest in Supreme Court commentary, subscribe to ISCOTUSnow’s YouTube channel.

OT 2012

Guest Post: Follow the Final Month of the Supreme Court’s October Term 2012

By Tom Gaylord, originally published on the IIT Chicago-Kent Law Library Blog.

As we enter June, we also enter the final month, for all intents and purposes, of October Term 2012 (OT 2012) of the Supreme Court (I say “for all intents and purposes” because although the Court’s Term will not actually end until the opening of OT 2013 on October 7, 2013, the Court traditionally issues it final decisions in argued cases during the last week of June). Thus far, the Court has issued opinions in 45 argued cases, as well as 4 per curiam opinions in cases decided without argument.

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OT 2012

Today’s Rulings On Habeas Corpus

Case:

Trevino v. Thaler

The Supreme Court today issued opinions in two cases involving procedures for habeas corpus, specifically in the context of individuals who are challenging their state-court convictions or capital sentences. Habeas allows these individuals to allege that their convictions are invalid due to constitutional defects in the trials. Winning such a claim is very, very difficult. The legal doctrine is very restrictive, thanks to both Congress, which passed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) in 1996, and to years of highly restrictive Supreme Court precedent. Today, however, both cases inched open doors for habeas petitioners.

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News, OT 2012

What’s going on at the Supreme Court?

Today, the Supreme Court issued decisions in four cases. All but one were unanimous as to result, and that one, City of Arlington v. FCC, though important in administrative law, is not a case most members of the public are likely to be following. This may lead some people to wonder what the Supreme Court is doing and when they will issue decisions in the big cases from this Term — the gay marriage cases (Perry and Windsor), the affirmative action case (Fisher), and the Voting Rights Act case (Shelby County), to name a few.

The short answer is that the dispositions of these cases will almost certainly be announced before the end of June, when the Court goes into summer recess. I say “almost certainly” because there is at least one other, very remote, possibility: Occasionally a case is held over for reargument in the fall. This happened with Citizens United.

At this time of year, the Court generally announces (or “hands down”) opinions on Mondays (next week it will be Tuesday due to Memorial Day), and it sometimes adds an additional hand-down days, usually Thursdays, towards the end of the Term. But the Court never announces ahead of time what opinions it will be issuing on a particular hand-down day. So between now and the end of June, every hand-down day has the potential to be a biggie.

Affordable Care Act, News

Congratulations to Dahlia Lithwick!

Case:

The Affordable Care Act Cases

Dahlia Lithwick has won a richly-deserved National Magazine Award for Columns and Commentary. The award is specifically for three columns about the Affordable Care Act case. But as courtwatchers know, Dahlia Lithwick’s incisive commentary at Slate.com is a must read. (She’s been on sabbatical this year, and we look forward to reading her regular dispatches again.)