Recently lots of hubbub was made of the Ninth Circuit’s decision to uphold a lower court’s order blocking the Trump Administration from enforcing its executive order on immigration including President Trump’s immediate Twitter response of “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!” Right-wing pundits were quick to assail the Ninth…
Month: February 2017
When Justices Recuse, and When they Refuse
By Samuel Morse Over the summer, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made the following comments about then presidential-candidate Donald Trump: “He is a faker…He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. …How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns?…
Attorney Arguments 2016/2017
The Supreme Court released its final argument calendar of the term with thirteen arguments slated for April. Although this term started out slow, most likely due to the Justices’ apprehension at the possibility of reaching equal divisions in cases, case grants picked up pace especially after the presidential election. Though we won’t see a new…
Scaling Judge Gorsuch’s Opinions: Hints of a Possible Centrist
Two words that are regularly thrown around when discussing the Supreme Court (and politics generally) are “liberal” and “conservative.” On this note, recently a question that has gained much traction has to do with how liberal or conservative a Justice Judge Gorsuch will be if confirmed to the Court. A large problem with these terms…
What’s at Stake in a Supreme Court Ruling in the Trump Immigration Battle?
The Supreme Court’s role as a co-equal branch of the federal government may soon be put to the test. While various issues relating to President Trump’s decisions are percolating in lower courts, one that has received much attention recently is his Executive Order on Immigration. Yesterday the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments regarding the temporary…
Expectations for Vote Timing on the Gorsuch Nomination
Post by Samuel Morse Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch has a fairly pristine record and is himself one of the least controversial nominees to the Court in recent memory. This however will not be enough to make for a smooth confirmation. After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to act on Merrick Garland’s nomination, there…
Judge Gorsuch by the Numbers and Decisions
Speculation is abound regarding President Trump’s pick for Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Questions range from: “Who is he?” and “How will he rule” to the more specific “Will he help overturn Roe v. Wade.” While answers to the last two questions are anyone’s guess, answers to the first may shed light on all…
The Justices, Gender Equity, and Oral Arguments
Below is the abstract from my new article, Echoes from a Gendered Court: Examining the Justices’ Interactions During Supreme Court Oral Arguments, co-authored by Rebecca Gill: Supreme Court oral arguments are the only publicly scheduled opportunities for the Justices and advocates to directly engage in discussions about a case. There are few rules to regulate…
Empirical SCOTUS 