Supreme Court Taking on Major Issues in Fall Term

The Supreme Court is in its annual summer recess after finishing up a term that had some big cases, but few true blockbusters. The term that starts in October will be different. Indeed, by the time the Court goes home at the beginning of July 2022 we may well have seen its biggest term since at least 2015 and maybe longer. Just take a look at what issues are already on the docket, which include abortion, guns, religious school choice, the death penalty, and terrorism. It could also add a huge case on affirmative action.

Big issues do not always yield big decisions, of course. Conservative judges in particular tend to come from a legal culture and a judicial philosophy that hesitates at taking sweeping, dramatic leaps. But several of these cases are framed in a way that will invite major, high-profile rulings. That undoubtedly reflects, at least in part, the litigation strategies of conservative activists. This will be the first term of the Court in which most of the petitions bringing cases for the Court’s review were filed after Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Activists are eager to see how far the Court’s 6–3 majority is willing to go.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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The Supreme Court is in its annual summer recess after finishing up a term that had some big cases, but few true blockbusters. The term that starts in October will be different. Indeed, by the time the Court goes home at the beginning of July 2022 we may well have seen its biggest term since at least 2015 and maybe longer. Just take a look at what issues are already on the docket, which include abortion, guns, religious school choice, the death penalty, and terrorism. It could also add a huge case on affirmative action.

Big issues do not always yield big decisions, of course. Conservative judges in particular tend to come from a legal culture and a judicial philosophy that hesitates at taking sweeping, dramatic leaps. But several of these cases are framed in a way that will invite major, high-profile rulings. That undoubtedly reflects, at least in part, the litigation strategies of conservative activists. This will be the first term of the Court in which most of the petitions bringing cases for the Court’s review were filed after Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Activists are eager to see how far the Court’s 6–3 majority is willing to go.