Supreme Court Signals Intent to Overturn 90-Year Precedent Protecting Independent Agency Leaders from Presidential Firing, Expanding Executive Power

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Trump v. Slaughter regarding President Trump’s firing of Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, with the conservative majority signaling strong support for overturning Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, the 1935 unanimous …

Supreme Court to Review Trump's Federalization of National Guard in Chicago, Nationwide Implications

On October 29, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court took the rare step of requesting additional briefing in a high-profile emergency case challenging President Trump’s federalization of the National Guard in Chicago for immigration enforcement, signaling the Court is grappling with fundamental …

Supreme Court Begins 2025-2026 Term with Focus on Executive Power and Voting Rights

The Supreme Court began its 2025-2026 term on October 6, 2025, with a docket featuring critical cases on executive power, voting rights, and constitutional law. The October session includes 10 oral arguments over five days, with several cases that could fundamentally reshape American governance.

Key …

Supreme Court Agrees to Reconsider Humphrey's Executor, Review Trump's Power to Fire Agency Heads

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a rush appeal deciding whether President Trump acted lawfully in firing board members leading independent federal agencies, setting up oral arguments for December 2025. The case will reconsider the landmark 1935 precedent Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, …

Heritage Foundation Publishes 800-Page Constitutional Guide as Trump's Judicial Roadmap

The Heritage Foundation released an 800-page ‘Guide to the Constitution’ featuring contributions from Trump appointees and prefaced by Justice Samuel Alito, serving as Trump’s blueprint for Supreme Court nominations and legal interpretation. The guide promotes an originalist …

Supreme Court Expands Louisiana Redistricting Case to Challenge Section 2 of Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court took the extraordinary step of expanding the legal questions in Louisiana v. Callais (Nos. 24-109, 24-110), ordering supplemental briefs on whether creating majority-minority districts to remedy Voting Rights Act violations violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments. The …

Supreme Court 6-3 Stay Authorizes Mass Federal Workforce Reductions at 22 Agencies

The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 stay allowing the Trump administration to proceed with mass federal workforce reductions at 22 agencies, overturning a preliminary injunction issued by Judge Susan Illston. The decision enabled immediate implementation of layoffs that had been blocked as likely …

Supreme Court lifts injunctions, enables mass firings at 19 federal agencies

In a controversial 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court lifted lower court injunctions blocking the Trump administration’s mass firing plans, enabling reductions of up to 50% in 19 federal agencies. The ruling temporarily permits widespread federal workforce terminations, with Justice Ketanji Brown …

Supreme Court Restricts Nationwide Injunctions in Trump v. CASA, Expanding Executive Power

In Trump v. CASA de Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to significantly restrict the ability of federal district courts to issue nationwide injunctions blocking executive branch policies. The decision represents a major expansion of presidential power and reduction in judicial checks on executive …

Supreme Court 6-3 Allows Third-Country Deportations Without Due Process

In a 6-3 decision in DHS v. D.V.D., the Supreme Court allowed DHS to deport immigrants to “third countries”—nations they’re not from—without meaningful opportunity to contest deportation. The ruling stayed a Massachusetts district court order that had required 15 days notice and …

Federal Courts Rule Trump's IEEPA Tariffs Illegal in Multiple Cases

Federal judges across multiple courts ruled that President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose unilateral tariffs was illegal and exceeded presidential authority. On May 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras granted a preliminary …

Supreme Court Hearing Challenges Presidential National Guard Federalization Powers

Ongoing federal court cases challenge the president’s authority to unilaterally federalize state National Guard units, with multiple states filing legal challenges to Trump’s deployment of California’s National Guard. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the president …

Supreme Court Confronts Systemic Emoluments Violations

In a landmark hearing, the Supreme Court began addressing complex constitutional challenges surrounding executive branch financial entanglements. The court explored unprecedented legal territory regarding potential emoluments violations, signaling a willingness to directly examine potential …

Federal Judges Establish Precedent for Presidential Accountability

In a landmark series of rulings spanning multiple federal appeals courts and culminating on April 10, 2025, federal judges significantly reaffirmed and expanded legal frameworks for holding the executive branch accountable. The decisions centered on critical constitutional issues including …

Trump Invokes Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to Impose Unprecedented Reciprocal Tariffs

President Trump declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to impose sweeping ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ marking the first time in IEEPA’s 48-year history that a president used the emergency statute—designed for genuine national …

Supreme Court Grants Broad Presidential Immunity in Trump v. United States, Creating King-Like Powers

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for acts within their “core constitutional powers,” presumptive immunity for “official acts” within the outer perimeter of their responsibilities, and no immunity for unofficial acts. …

Supreme Court Overturns Chevron Deference, Reshaping Administrative Law

In a landmark 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court overruled the 40-year-old Chevron deference doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, fundamentally altering the balance of power between courts and federal agencies. The ruling requires courts to independently interpret ambiguous statutes rather …

Supreme Court Allows Religious Exemptions from Anti-Discrimination Laws in 303 Creative v. Elenis

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause prohibits states from enforcing anti-discrimination laws against businesses providing “expressive” services when doing so would compel speech that violates the owner’s religious beliefs. Justice Gorsuch …

Supreme Court Ends Affirmative Action in College Admissions in Students for Fair Admissions Decisions

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 (Harvard) and 6-2 (UNC) that race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and University of North Carolina violate the Equal Protection Clause, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education nationwide. Chief Justice Roberts authored the majority opinion, joined …

Supreme Court Establishes Major Questions Doctrine in West Virginia v. EPA, Limiting Regulatory Power

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the EPA lacked authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants through generation shifting, formally establishing the “major questions doctrine” for the first time by name in a majority opinion. Chief Justice Roberts …

Supreme Court Strikes Down CDC Eviction Moratorium as Unauthorized Executive Action

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to block the Biden administration’s CDC eviction moratorium covering areas with high COVID transmission, finding the agency exceeded its statutory authority. The Court held that ‘[i]f a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must …

Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Beyond Federal Court Jurisdiction

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering claims present “political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts,” effectively eliminating federal judicial oversight of even extreme partisan redistricting. The decision gives state legislatures …

Supreme Court Upholds Ohio's Aggressive "Use It Or Lose It" Voter Purge System

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 to uphold Ohio’s aggressive voter purge system—the most severe in the nation—that removes voters from registration rolls if they fail to vote in a single federal election and don’t return a mailed confirmation notice. Justice Samuel Alito’s majority …

Epic Systems v. Lewis: Supreme Court Allows Mandatory Arbitration Blocking Class Action Labor Claims

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis that employers can require workers to sign mandatory arbitration agreements waiving their right to join class action lawsuits over wage theft, discrimination, or other labor law violations. Justice Neil Gorsuch—a Federalist Society member …

TC Heartland v. Kraft: Supreme Court Limits Patent Forum Shopping, Curbing Eastern District of Texas Troll Haven

The Supreme Court unanimously rules in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (581 U.S. 258) that for patent infringement suits, a domestic corporation ‘resides’ only in its state of incorporation under 28 U.S.C. § 1400(b), overturning nearly 30 years of Federal Circuit …

Supreme Court Rules Warrantless Cell Phone Searches Unconstitutional in Riley v. California

The United States Supreme Court unanimously rules in Riley v. California that police generally may not, without a warrant, search digital information on a cell phone seized from an individual who has been arrested. Chief Justice John Roberts writes the landmark opinion, declaring that “cell …

Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank: Supreme Court Restricts Software Patents, Reducing Patent Troll Leverage Over Abstract Business Methods

The Supreme Court unanimously rules in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International (573 U.S. 208) that abstract ideas implemented on generic computers are not patent-eligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101, establishing a two-step framework for patent eligibility. Justice Thomas delivers the opinion holding that …

Supreme Court backs broad discovery in Argentina debt case (Alito joined majority); Singer's fund later benefited

In Republic of Argentina v. NML Capital (2014), the Supreme Court held that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not bar post‑judgment discovery into a foreign sovereign’s assets, facilitating creditor collection efforts including by Paul Singer’s NML Capital. Justice Samuel Alito …

Supreme Court Strikes Down Aggregate Campaign Contribution Limits in McCutcheon v. FEC

Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that aggregate limits on total contributions an individual can make to federal candidates, parties, and PACs over a two-year election cycle violate the First Amendment. Chief Justice Roberts authored the majority opinion, joined by Justices Scalia, Kennedy, and Alito, with …

Supreme Court Guts Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder Decision

The Supreme Court strikes down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in a 5-4 decision, effectively nullifying Section 5’s preclearance requirement that prevented jurisdictions with histories of racial discrimination from changing voting laws without federal approval. Chief Justice …

Supreme Court Citizens United Decision Unleashes Unlimited Corporate Spending

Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that corporations can spend unlimited amounts on elections through independent expenditures, enabling creation of Super PACs and dark money networks. The decision dramatically reshaped campaign finance, allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited funds on independent …

Crawford v. Marion County: Supreme Court Upholds Strict Voter ID Laws Despite No Evidence of In-Person Fraud

The Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s strict photo voter ID law in Crawford v. Marion County, ruling 6-3 that the state’s interest in preventing voter fraud and maintaining public confidence in elections justified the burden imposed on voters without qualifying identification. The decision …

eBay v. MercExchange: Supreme Court Limits Automatic Patent Injunctions, Enabling Patent Troll Business Model to Flourish

The Supreme Court unanimously rules in eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C. (547 U.S. 388) that patent injunctions are not automatic upon finding infringement, requiring plaintiffs to meet a four-factor equitable test: (1) irreparable injury, (2) inadequate legal remedies, (3) balance of hardships, and …

Supreme Court Protects Cheney Energy Task Force Secrecy

In Cheney v. United States District Court, the Supreme Court rules 7-2 to protect the secrecy of Vice President Cheney’s Energy Task Force meetings with oil executives. The Court vacates a lower court order requiring disclosure of task force participants and documents, ruling that federal …

Supreme Court Rules Money Is Speech in Buckley v. Valeo

On January 30, 1976, the Supreme Court issued its landmark per curiam decision in Buckley v. Valeo, fundamentally transforming American campaign finance law by establishing that spending money on political campaigns constitutes protected speech under the First Amendment. The case challenged the …

Supreme Court Rules 8-0 in United States v. Nixon: President Must Surrender Tapes

On July 24, 1974, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous 8-0 decision in United States v. Nixon, ordering President Richard Nixon to deliver sixty-four tape recordings and other subpoenaed materials related to the Watergate scandal to the federal district court. Chief Justice Warren Burger—a Nixon …

Lewis Powell Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice, Begins Implementing Corporate Blueprint

Lewis F. Powell Jr. was sworn in as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on January 7, 1972, after being nominated by President Nixon and confirmed by the Senate with an overwhelming 89-1 vote. A corporate lawyer with board memberships in 11 major corporations, Powell’s appointment …

Nixon Nominates Lewis Powell to Supreme Court Two Months After Corporate Blueprint Memo

President Richard Nixon nominates Lewis F. Powell Jr. to the Supreme Court just two months after Powell authored his secret corporate blueprint memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on August 23, 1971. Amidst a rare opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court, Nixon nominates Powell alongside William …

Korematsu v. United States - Supreme Court Upholds Japanese Internment

The Supreme Court rules 6-3 in Korematsu v. United States on December 18, 1944, upholding the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066 and the exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. Justice Hugo Black writes for the majority that military necessity during wartime justifies the mass …

Smith v. Allwright: Supreme Court Strikes Down White Primaries, Opening Democratic Party to Black Voters

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Smith v. Allwright that Texas’s white primary system violated the Fifteenth Amendment, striking down one of the South’s most effective tools for excluding Black voters from meaningful political participation. The decision, argued by Thurgood Marshall for …

Guinn v. United States: Supreme Court Strikes Down Grandfather Clauses as Fifteenth Amendment Violation

The Supreme Court unanimously struck down Oklahoma’s grandfather clause in Guinn v. United States, marking the first time the Court invalidated a state voting restriction as a Fifteenth Amendment violation since Reconstruction. Chief Justice Edward White, himself a former Confederate soldier …

Giles v. Harris: Supreme Court Refuses to Enforce Black Voting Rights Against Alabama Constitution

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Giles v. Harris that federal courts cannot enforce Black voting rights under the Fifteenth Amendment, effectively sanctioning the wave of disenfranchisement sweeping the South. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., writing for the majority, acknowledged that …

Prigg v Pennsylvania Supreme Court Ruling Protects Slave Catchers and Enables Kidnapping

The Supreme Court issues its decision in Prigg v. Pennsylvania, 41 U.S. 539 (1842), with Justice Joseph Story writing for an 8-1 majority that strikes down Pennsylvania’s “personal liberty law” and establishes sweeping protections for slave catchers that enable systematic …