With thanks to SCOTUSblog, here’s a quick summary of today’s rulings in the final four cases of the Term. (I’ll update this post as I get additional information.)

1. McDonald v. City of Chicago: Opinion by Justice Alito that Second Amendment rights are incorporated against the states. 5-4 divide on ideological lines (with Kennedy in majority). Apparently, Justice Thomas may part way with other members of majority by relying on Privileges and Immunities rather than Due Process. Opinions total 214 pages. Stevens has a solo dissent, and Breyer, joined by Ginsburg and Sotomayor, has another one. (Breyer is reading a summary of his dissent, so it may be a while before the Court gets to the next opinion.)

2. Christian Legal Society v. Martinez: Opinion by Justice Ginsburg rules that rights of law school organization weren’t violated when its access to law school facilities was conditioned on its making membership and leadership positions open to students who rejected its core beliefs. 5-4 divide on ideological lines (with Kennedy joining the liberals). Dissent by Justice Alito.

(I don’t mean this as a comment on the legal merits, but the underlying situation illustrates again how the Left invokes the rubric of diversity to promote uniformity.)

3. Bilski v. Kappos (patent case): Opinion by Justice Kennedy apparently holding that the “machine or transformation test” is not the sole test for eligibility to obtain a patent. Majority may be divided. (I know virtually nothing about the issue in this long-awaited case.)

4. Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board: Opinion by Chief Justice that the removal provisions governing members of PCAOB violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. (The Court separately holds that the appointment provisions are consistent with the Appointments Clause.) 5-4 divide on ideological lines.

The PCAOB may continue to function, but its members may be removed at will (rather than only for cause) by the SEC.