Category Archives: News

Rethinking the Supreme Court — The Case for Term Limits

In recent months, there has been increasing talk about restructuring the Supreme Court. Ideas previously confined to the fringes of political and academic debate have gone mainstream. Demands to rethink the way the Court operates have become particularly prominent among those on the political left who have been scarred by a series of recent setbacks: … Continue reading Rethinking the Supreme Court — The Case for Term Limits

DACA Filings and the Terms’s First Opinion

On Monday the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) made a rare request of the Supreme Court. The department filed a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment in the case U.S. Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, which the Ninth U.S Circuit Court of Appeals is currently deciding. That court … Continue reading DACA Filings and the Terms’s First Opinion

News Roundup: Week of October 29, 2018

In addition to the Supreme Court’s latest session of oral arguments and its announcement that it had granted certiorari in some new cases (see here), there was other news as well last week. Term Limits for the Court The Hill’s Lydia Wheeler wrote in an article this week about a new poll conducted by Fix … Continue reading News Roundup: Week of October 29, 2018

Supreme Court Adds E-Filing

On Monday, November 13, the Supreme Court’s new electronic filing system became operational, fulfilling a commitment Chief Justice Roberts had made back in 2014.  In his 2014 Year-End Report of the Federal Judiciary, Chief Justice Roberts focused on information technology.  In the report, the Chief Justice described how the Court has used technology, from the … Continue reading Supreme Court Adds E-Filing

SCOTUS News Update: Travel Ban Filings, Death Penalty Challenges, and Errors in Opinions

On Tuesday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow full reinstatement of President Trump’s latest travel ban order on September 24, and block the Hawaii District Court’s order suspending full implementation of the travel restriction while plaintiffs, including the International Refugee Assistance Project, challenge the ban. Solicitor General Noel Francisco filed the request … Continue reading SCOTUS News Update: Travel Ban Filings, Death Penalty Challenges, and Errors in Opinions

Senator Warren, the Supreme Court, and Judicial Ethics

Senator Elizabeth Warren is worried about conflicts of interest on the Supreme Court. Unlike all other federal courts, the Supreme Court has no formal code of conduct. Supreme Court justices are largely on their own when it comes to off-the-court activities and deciding when to recuse because of a conflict of interest. In a Politico article  titled … Continue reading Senator Warren, the Supreme Court, and Judicial Ethics

A Report from the American Constitution Society Annual Convention

From Guest Blogger Anna Jirschele, Chicago-Kent, Class of 2018 Lawyers, judges, and legal scholars came together in Washington, D.C., last week for the American Constitution Society’s 15th annual National Convention. Vice President Joe Biden welcomed attendees at the dinner on the opening night. One particularly interesting panel was on “Race, Speech and Inclusion on Campus.” … Continue reading A Report from the American Constitution Society Annual Convention

Defying the Court

There was not much mystery as to how this one was going to turn out. Kim Davis’ legal arguments for why she should not be required to follow the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling were paper thin. They got her nowhere. The only real question was whether the Kentucky county clerk was going to back … Continue reading Defying the Court

Half a Cheer for Justice Ginsburg’s Celebrity Turn

Justice Ginsburg’s frequent and increasingly candid off-the-bench statements have elicited praise and condemnation from predictable sources. Fueled by social media, she has achieved an almost cultish celebrity status, her every remark cherished by her admirers, her face featured on “Notorious RBG” t-shirts. Although Justice Scalia has an army of faithful followers and Justice Sotomayor has … Continue reading Half a Cheer for Justice Ginsburg’s Celebrity Turn