The Supreme Court faces another term jam-packed with controversy
The U.S. Supreme Court begins a new term facing a heavy docket of controversial cases, including religion, gun control, and climate change. Legal experts note a shift toward the 'emergency docket' over traditional merits-based rulings.
Why it matters
The court's reliance on the emergency docket changes how legal precedents are set and limits the transparency of judicial decision-making.
The U.S. Supreme Court formally opens a new term on Monday, with big test cases on religion, bans on semi-automatic weapons, climate change, immigration and — waiting in the wings — election law cases.
It used to be that the first Monday in October marked the beginning of a new Supreme Court term. And that's still true, technically. But for all practical purposes, the formerly quiet summer months after the court finishes its opinions in all argued cases no longer exists.
Law U.S. Supreme Court sides with Trump administration in third-country deportations Indeed, as Georgetown University law professor Stephen Vladeck observes, the number of emergency appeals has ballooned during the Trump administration, while at the same time, fully briefed and argued cases have dropped precipitously over the years.
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