Tag: Supreme Court
Top U.S. Supreme Court Decisions of 2017
The U.S. Supreme Court returned to full strength in 2017 with the nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch. He was sworn in on April 10, 2017, despite a Democratic filibuster. As expected, Justice Gorsuch has voted very conservatively since joining the bench. The Trump Administration has also been involved in a number of high-profile cases. Most […]
January 2, 2018
“Table for 9: Supreme Court Food Traditions & Recipes” Offers Unique Take on SCOTUS
There are thousands of books about the U.S. Supreme Court, each trying to offer a different take on the country’s highest court. “Table for 9: Supreme Court Food Traditions & Recipes” is one of the few books that actually succeeds at doing so. In her new book, Clare Cushman of the Supreme Court Historical Society […]
December 27, 2017
Shorthanded Supreme Court May Still Issue Blockbuster Rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court always save the best for last, and this term is no exception. While the vacancy on the Court dominated the headlines, the justices still considered several important cases. Issues still left to be decided in the coming weeks include the extraterritorial reach of the Fourth Amendment and First Amendment protections for […]
June 26, 2017
“Five Chiefs” by Justice John Paul Stevens Offers Unique Perspective
Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir by John Paul Stevens John Paul Stevens is one of the longest serving justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. His book, Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir, provides a broad sweep of the history of the country’s highest court from the unique perspective of one of its members. Justice Stevens […]
February 21, 2017
Do We Need Nine Supreme Court Justices?
Even after the November election Sen. Ted Cruz vowed to continue to block the appointment of a replacement Supreme Court justice. The Republican senator maintains that the country’s highest court does not need nine members to operate and may even be better off with fewer justices. Conservatives Call for Smaller Supreme Court Several conservative legal […]
January 16, 2017
Three Books about the Roberts Court
[table id=7 /] The U.S. Supreme Court recently entered its eleventh term with Chief Justice John Roberts at the helm at the Court’s seventeenth Chief Justice. During Robert’s tenure, the Court has been at the center of important and often controversial legal battles, from same sex marriage to the Affordable Care Act to the […]
December 28, 2015
Court Artist Arthur Lien Provides Window into U.S. Supreme Court
Cameras aren’t allowed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which makes the work of court sketch artist Arthur Lien all the more valuable. His renderings of the justices, the lawyers, and the parties are often the only visual depictions of the high-profile proceedings that the American public gets to see. For instance, without Lien’s artwork, most […]
December 14, 2015
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall: Two Great Reads
John Marshall: The Chief Justice Who Saved the Nation, by Harlow Giles Unger; DaCapo Press (2014) John Marshall: Definer of a Nation, By Jean Edward Smith; Henry Holt & Co (1996) John Marshall, who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1801 to 1835, is credited with elevating the […]
December 7, 2015
Well Written Judicial Opinions Can Sometimes Cross the Line
People who read a lot of written judicial opinions often rejoice when they come across one that is actually well written. So many of them are dry and confusing with overdone precision. However, some judges can go too far to keep their writing fresh and original. If there is a line, a Texas federal court […]
July 14, 2014
Should the Public Be Able to Watch the Supreme Court’s Upcoming Same-Sex Marriage Arguments?
The U.S. Supreme Court will take up two same-sex marriage cases next month. While the oral arguments are expected to garner wide media attention, there will no television cameras inside the Supreme Court courtroom. Although cameras are now allowed in courtrooms across the country, the Supreme Court justices maintain that they have no place in […]
March 22, 2013