Why is the Court’s 2nd Amendment decision this term such a huge deal? This would be the fourth time the Court reviews the constitutionality of a law under the Second Amendment since 1900 and the fifth time ever. Three of those four decisions including the present one will take place under the Roberts Court. The…
Tag: McDonald v. Chicago
State Fault Lines That Might Lead to Big Cases Before the Supreme Court
The Court currently has 43 arguments scheduled for this term. For the most part, these cases will go under the radar. Even cases with large sets of amicus briefs, usually a good sign of generalized interest in cases, do not contain the same blockbuster quality as cases in recent terms. For example, amici filed nearly…
The Dissenting-est Dissenters on the Modern Court
The Court’s opinions have been sliced, diced, and dissected in various fashions over the years as scholars and practitioners look for overt and latent meanings in the Court’s texts. An object of study has often been the dissenting opinion. The dissent is an interesting point of focus because both because of its purpose and its…
Professors as Amici
Amicus briefs filed before the Supreme Court are most commonly used as a tool for interest groups use to convey their positions (for a look at interest groups’ use of amicus briefs see this article by Professor Paul Collins). This is not the sole use of such briefs though. Non-party individuals and groups that have an…
empiricalscotus.com 