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    Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021

    From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 31 min


    SCOTUS
    Seal of SCOTUS.png
    Cases by term
    Judgeships
    Posts: 9
    Judges: 9
    Judges
    Chief: John Roberts
    Active: Clarence Thomas • Stephen Breyer • Samuel Alito • Sonia Sotomayor • Elena Kagan • Neil Gorsuch • Brett Kavanaugh • Amy Coney Barrett


    The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the country and leads the judicial branch of the federal government. It is often referred to by the acronym SCOTUS.[1]

    The Supreme Court began hearing cases for the term on October 5, 2020. The court's yearly term begins on the first Monday in October and lasts until the first Monday in October the following year. The court generally releases the majority of its decisions in mid-June.[2]

    The court heard all oral arguments in cases accepted for the term remotely via teleconference and provided live audio streams of the argument sessions. The court made the decision in accordance with public health guidance in response to COVID-19.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Click here for more information about the court's response to the coronavirus pandemic.


    The court issued 67 opinions during its 2020-2021 term. Two cases were decided in one consolidated opinion. Ten cases were decided without argument. Click here for more information on the court's opinions.

    The court agreed to hear 62 cases during its 2020-2021 term. Of those, 12 were originally scheduled for the 2019-2020 term but were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Five cases were removed from the argument calendar.


    See the sections below for additional information on the October 2020 term of the Supreme Court of the United States.

    1. Cases by circuit: This section lists the cases being heard by court of origination (e.g., federal appellate courts, federal district courts, state courts, etc.).
    2. Cases by sitting: This section lists the cases being heard by date of oral argument.
    3. Cases by date of opinion: This section lists the cases by the date the court released an opinion.
    4. Noteworthy court announcements and emergency appeals: This section provides details on noteworthy court announcements and emergency appeals.
    5. Term data: This section provides information on the cases SCOTUS decided, including case names, decisions, vote totals, opinion authors, and courts of origination. It also includes information on SCOTUS case reversal rates.
    6. Case history: This section provides information on previous SCOTUS terms.


    Cases by circuit[edit]

    Article III, Section 2 of the United States Constitution establishes the court's jurisdiction. The court has original jurisdiction—when it is the first and only to hear a case—and appellate jurisdiction—when it reviews the decisions of lower courts.[9]

    Parties petition SCOTUS to hear a case if they are not satisfied with a lower court's decision. The parties petition the court to grant a writ of certiorari. A writ of certiorari is an "order issued by the U.S. Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case it will hear on appeal."[9][10]

    Circuits[edit]

    1st Circuit[edit]

    2nd Circuit[edit]

    3rd Circuit[edit]

    4th Circuit[edit]

    5th Circuit[edit]

    6th Circuit[edit]

    7th Circuit[edit]

    8th Circuit[edit]

    9th Circuit[edit]

    10th Circuit[edit]


    11th Circuit[edit]

    D.C. Circuit[edit]

    Federal Circuit[edit]

    Armed Forces[edit]

    State and district courts[edit]

    Original jurisdiction[edit]

    Where are the cases coming from?[edit]

    List of cases by court of origination - 2020-2021 term
    Court Number of cases
    United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit 1
    United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit 2
    United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit 6
    United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit 3
    United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit 6
    United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit 4
    United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit 1
    United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit 2
    United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit 14
    United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit 3
    United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit 4
    United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit 6
    United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 3
    United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces 1
    State and district courts 4
    Original jurisdiction 2
    Total 62
    Source: Supreme Court of the United States, "Granted & noted list: October term 2020 cases for argument," accessed February 27, 2020


    Geographic boundaries[edit]

    Select a region to learn more about its court of appeals.

    United States Court of Appeals for the 1st CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 2nd CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 3rd CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 4th CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 6th CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 7th CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 10th CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 1st CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 3rd CircuitUS Court of Appeals and District Court map.jpg
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    Cases by sitting[edit]

    SCOTUS' term is divided into sittings, when the justices hear cases.[17]

    October sitting[edit]

    October 5, 2020

    October 6, 2020

    October 7, 2020

    October 13, 2020

    October 14, 2020

    November sitting[edit]

    November 2, 2020

    November 3, 2020

    November 4, 2020

    November 9, 2020

    November 10, 2020

    December sitting[edit]

    November 30, 2020

    December 1, 2020

    December 2, 2020

    December 7, 2020

    December 8, 2020

    December 9, 2020

    January sitting[edit]

    January 11, 2021

    January 12, 2021

    January 13, 2021

    January 19, 2021

    February sitting[edit]

    February 22, 2021

    February 23, 2021

    February 24, 2021

    March 1, 2021

    March 2, 2021

    March 3, 2021

    March sitting[edit]

    March 22, 2021

    March 23, 2021

    March 24, 2021

    March 29, 2021

    March 30, 2021

    March 31, 2021

    April sitting[edit]

    April 19, 2021

    April 20, 2021

    April 21, 2021

    April 26, 2021

    April 27, 2021

    April 28, 2021

    May sitting[edit]

    May 4, 2021

    Cases removed from argument calendar[edit]

    Cases originally scheduled for the 2019-2020 term[edit]

    The following cases were originally scheduled for the 2019-2020 term but were postponed to the 2020-2021 term due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Cases decided without argument[edit]

    • Taylor v. Riojas
    • Mckesson v. Doe
    • Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo
    • Shinn v. Kayer
    • Mays v. Hines
    • Tandon v. Newsom
    • Alaska v. Wright
    • Lombardo v. City of St. Louis, Missouri
    • Pakdel v. City and County of San Francisco, California
    • Dunn v. Reeves

    Cases by date of opinion[edit]

    October[edit]

    The court did not deliver opinions in October.

    November[edit]

    November 2, 2020

    • Taylor v. Riojas (Decided without argument)
    • Mckesson v. Doe (Decided without argument)

    November 25, 2020

    • Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo (Decided without argument)

    December[edit]

    December 10, 2020

    December 14, 2020

    December 18, 2020

    January[edit]

    January 14, 2021

    January 25, 2021

    February[edit]

    February 3, 2021

    February 25, 2021

    March[edit]

    March 4, 2021

    March 8, 2021

    March 25, 2021

    March 29, 2021

    • Mays v. Hines (Decided without argument)

    April[edit]

    April 1, 2021

    April 5, 2021

    April 9, 2021

    • Tandon v. Newsom (Decided without argument)

    April 22, 2021

    April 26, 2021

    • Alaska v. Wright (Decided without argument)

    April 29, 2021

    May[edit]

    May 17, 2021

    May 24, 2021

    May 27, 2021

    June[edit]

    June 1, 2021

    June 3, 2021

    June 7, 2021

    June 10, 2021

    June 14, 2021

    June 17, 2021

    June 21, 2021

    June 23, 2021

    June 25, 2021

    June 28, 2021

    • Lombardo v. City of St. Louis, Missouri (Decided without argument)
    • Pakdel v. City and County of San Francisco, California (Decided without argument)

    June 29, 2021

    July[edit]

    July 1, 2021

    July 2, 2021

    • Dunn v. Reeves (Decided without argument)

    Response to the coronavirus pandemic[edit]

    Covid vnt.png
    Coronavirus pandemic
    Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.


    See also: Documenting America's Path to Recovery

    Changes to argument and opinion schedule[edit]

    Court announces teleconferences for April, May sittings[edit]

    On April 9, 2021, the court announced it would hear oral arguments via teleconference for its April and May sittings. The arguments followed the same format the court used for its March sitting.[8][31]

    Court announces teleconferences for March sitting[edit]

    On February 24, 2021, the court announced it would hear oral arguments via teleconference for its March sitting. The arguments followed the same format the court used for its February sitting.[7]

    Court announces teleconferences for February sitting[edit]

    On January 22, 2021, the court announced it would hear oral arguments via teleconference for its February sitting. The arguments followed the same format the court used for its January sitting.[6][32]

    Court announces teleconferences for January sitting[edit]

    On January 5, 2021, the court announced it would hear oral arguments via teleconference for its January sitting. The arguments followed the same format the court used for its December sitting.[5]

    Court announces teleconferences for November and December sittings[edit]

    On October 9, 2020, the court announced it would hear oral arguments via teleconference for its November and December sittings. The arguments followed the same format the court used for its October 2020 and May 2019 sittings.[4] Click here for more information on the cases the court decided to hear in November and December 2020.

    Court announces teleconferences for October sitting[edit]

    On September 16, 2020, the court announced it would hear oral arguments via teleconference for its October sitting following the same format that was used during its May sitting in the 2019-2020 term. The court announced that a live audio feed would be made available to the public as it was during the 2019-2020 May sitting.[3] Click here for more information on the cases the court decided to hear in October 2020.

    For more information on the court's response to the coronavirus pandemic during its October 2019-2020 term, click here.

    Noteworthy court announcements[edit]

    Term data[edit]

    List of cases[edit]

    The 2020-2021 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began on October 5, 2020. The following table provides data on the decisions the court delivered during the 2020-2021 term.

    2020-2021 SCOTUS term data
    Case Opinion author Decision Vote Court of origination
    Taylor v. Riojas Per curiam granted, vacated and remanded 7-1 5th Circuit
    Mckesson v. Doe Per curiam granted, vacated and remanded 7-1 5th Circuit
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo Per curiam application for injunctive relief granted 5-4 2nd Circuit
    Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association Sonia Sotomayor reversed and remanded 8-0 8th Circuit
    United States v. Collins (Consolidated with United States v. Briggs) Samuel Alito reversed and remanded 8-0 United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
    Carney v. Adams Stephen Breyer vacated and remanded 8-0 3rd Circuit
    FNU Tanzin v. Tanvir Clarence Thomas affirmed 8-0 2nd Circuit
    Shinn v. Kayer Per curiam vacated and remanded 6-3 9th Circuit
    Texas v. New Mexico Brett Kavanaugh motion denied 7-1 Original jurisdiction
    Trump v. New York Per curiam vacated and remanded 6-3 Southern District of New York
    City of Chicago, Illinois v. Fulton Samuel Alito vacated and remanded 8-0 7th Circuit
    Henry Schein Inc. v. Archer and White Sales Inc. Per curiam Dismissed NA 5th Circuit
    Salinas v. United States Railroad Retirement Board Sonia Sotomayor reversed and remanded 5-4 5th Circuit
    Republic of Hungary v. Simon Per curiam vacated and remanded 9-0 D.C. Circuit
    Federal Republic of Germany v. Philipp John Roberts vacated and remanded 9-0 D.C. Circuit
    Brownback v. King Clarence Thomas reversed 9-0 6th Circuit
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service v. Sierra Club Amy Coney Barrett reversed and remanded 7-2 9th Circuit
    Pereida v. Barr Neil Gorsuch affirmed 5-3 8th Circuit
    Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski Clarence Thomas reversed and remanded 8-1 11th Circuit
    Ford Motor Company v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court (Consolidated with Ford Motor Company v. Bandemer) Elena Kagan affirmed 8-0 Montana Supreme Court
    Torres v. Madrid John Roberts vacated and remanded 5-3 United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
    Mays v. Hines Per curiam reversed 8-1 6th Circuit
    Florida v. Georgia Amy Coney Barrett Exceptions overruled, case dismissed 9-0 Original jurisdiction
    FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project (Consolidated with National Association of Broadcasters v. Prometheus Radio Project) Brett Kavanaugh reversed 9-0 3rd Circuit
    Facebook v. Duguid Sonia Sotomayor reversed and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    Google LLC v. Oracle America Inc. Stephen Breyer reversed and remanded 6-2 Federal Circuit
    Tandon v. Newsom Per curiam Application for injunctive relief granted 5-4 9th Circuit
    Jones v. Mississippi Brett Kavanaugh affirmed 6-3 Mississippi Court of Appeals
    Carr v. Saul (Consolidated with Davis v. Saul) Sonia Sotomayor reversed and remanded 9-0 10th Circuit
    AMG Capital Management, LLC v. Federal Trade Commission Stephen Breyer reversed and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    Alaska v. Wright Per curiam vacated and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    Niz-Chavez v. Garland Neil Gorsuch reversed 6-3 6th Circuit
    Edwards v. Vannoy Brett Kavanaugh affirmed 6-3 5th Circuit
    BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore Neil Gorsuch vacated and remanded 7-1 4th Circuit
    CIC Services v. Internal Revenue Service Elena Kagan reversed and remanded 9-0 6th Circuit
    Caniglia v. Strom Clarence Thomas vacated and remanded 9-0 1st Circuit
    United States v. Palomar-Santiago Sonia Sotomayor reversed and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    Guam v. United States Clarence Thomas reversed and remanded 9-0 D.C. Circuit
    City of San Antonio, Texas v. Hotels.com, L.P. Samuel Alito affirmed 9-0 5th Circuit
    Garland v. Dai (Consolidated with Garland v. Alcaraz-Enriquez) Neil Gorsuch vacated and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    United States v. Cooley Stephen Breyer vacated and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    Van Buren v. United States Amy Coney Barrett reversed and remanded 6-3 11th Circuit
    Sanchez v. Mayorkas Elena Kagan affirmed 9-0 3rd Circuit
    Borden v. United States Elena Kagan reversed and remanded 5-4 6th Circuit
    Greer v. United States Brett Kavanaugh affirmed 9-0 11th Circuit
    United States v. Gary Brett Kavanaugh reversed 8-1 4th Circuit
    Terry v. United States Clarence Thomas affirmed 9-0 11th Circuit
    California v. Texas (Consolidated with Texas v. California) Stephen Breyer reversed and remanded 7-2 5th Circuit
    Nestlé USA v. Doe I (Consolidated with Cargill v. Doe I) Clarence Thomas reversed and remanded 8-1 9th Circuit
    Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania John Roberts reversed and remanded 9-0 3rd Circuit
    United States v. Arthrex Inc. (Consolidated with Smith & Nephew Inc. v. Arthrex Inc. and Arthrex Inc. v. Smith & Nephew Inc.) John Roberts vacated and remanded 5-4 Federal Circuit
    Goldman Sachs Group Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System Amy Coney Barrett vacated and remanded 8-1 2nd Circuit
    National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston (Consolidated with American Athletic Conference v. Alston) Neil Gorsuch affirmed 9-0 9th Circuit
    Lange v. California Elena Kagan vacated and remanded 9-0 California First District Court of Appeal
    Collins v. Yellen (Consolidated with Yellen v. Collins) Samuel Alito affirmed in part, reversed in part, vacated in part, and remanded 7-2 5th Circuit
    Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. Stephen Breyer affirmed 8-1 3rd Circuit
    Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid John Roberts reversed and remanded 6-3 9th Circuit
    TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez Brett Kavanaugh reversed and remanded 5-4 9th Circuit
    HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association Neil Gorsuch reversed 6-3 10th Circuit
    Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation (Consolidated with Alaska Native Village Corporation Association v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation) Sonia Sotomayor reversed and remanded 6-3 D.C. Circuit
    Lombardo v. City of St. Louis, Missouri Per curiam vacated and remanded 6-3 8th Circuit
    Pakdel v. City and County of San Francisco, California Per curiam vacated and remanded 9-0 9th Circuit
    Minerva Surgical Inc. v. Hologic Inc. Elena Kagan vacated and remanded 5-4 Federal Circuit
    Johnson v. Guzman Chavez[104] Samuel Alito reversed 6-3 4th Circuit
    PennEast Pipeline Co. v. New Jersey John Roberts reversed and remanded 5-4 3rd Circuit
    Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (Consolidated with Arizona Republican Party v. Democratic National Committee) Samuel Alito reversed and remanded 6-3 9th Circuit
    Americans for Prosperity v. Bonta[105] (Consolidated with Thomas More Law Center v. Bonta) John Roberts reversed and remanded 6-3 9th Circuit
    Dunn v. Reeves (Decided without argument) Per curiam reversed and remanded 6-3 11th Circuit


    Precedent alteration[edit]

    The Washington University in St. Louis Law School (WashU Law) maintains a database of Supreme Court cases. In its database, a case is considered to have formally altered existing Court precedent if at least one of the following applies to the case:[106]

    • The majority opinion of the Court explicitly references a previous case and overturns its precedent;
    • A dissent contains persuasive evidence that the opinion of the Court, despite not mentioning overturned precedent, has overruled a previous precedent set by the Court;
    • If the Court, in a later decision, references an earlier decision that the Court made, and states that said earlier decision was a case overturning precedent, that earlier case will be marked as altering precedent;
    • Or, the majority opinion mentions precedent and states that it "disapproved" of the decision, or that the precedent is "no longer good law."

    The following table details for each term of The Roberts Court how many and which cases were found to formally alter precedent:[107]

    SCOTUS precedent alteration during the Roberts Court
    Court term # of cases altering precedent % of cases altering precedent List of cases altering precedent
    2023-2024 1 of 62 1.6% Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo
    2022-2023 1 of 62 1.6% Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard
    2021-2022 3 of 69 4.3% Shinn v. Ramirez / Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization / Kennedy v. Bremerton School District
    2020-2021 1 of 74 1.4% Edwards v. Vannoy
    2019-2020 1 of 74 1.4% Ramos v. Louisiana
    2018-2019 4 of 78 5.1% Knick v. Township of Scott, Pennsylvania / Herrera v. Wyoming / Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt / Rucho v. Common Cause
    2017-2018 3 of 79 3.8% Trump v. Hawaii / South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. / Janus v. AFSCME
    2016-2017 0 of 81 0.0% N/A
    2015-2016 1 of 84 1.2% Hurst v. Florida
    2014-2015 2 of 79 2.5% Johnson v. United States / Obergefell v. Hodges
    2013-2014 0 of 75 0.0% N/A
    2012-2013 1 of 79 1.3% Allen v. United States
    2011-2012 0 of 80 0.0% N/A
    2010-2011 1 of 86 1.2% Bond v. United States
    2009-2010 2 of 94 2.1% McDonald v. Chicago / Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
    2008-2009 2 of 83 2.4% Jesse Jay Montejo v. Louisiana / Cordell Pearson, et al. v. Afton Callahan
    2007-2008 0 of 74 0.0% N/A
    2006-2007 5 of 75 6.7% Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General v. Leroy Carhart, et al. / Bell Atlantic Corporation, et al. v. William Twombly, et al. / Keith Bowles v. Harry Russell, Warden / Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School Dist. No. 1 / Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc.
    2005-2006 2 of 87 2.3% Illinois Tool Works Inc., et al. v. Independent Ink, Inc. / Central Virginia Community College, et al. v. Bernard Katz

    Note that the WashU Law database does not state how many precedents were overturned with each decision. As such, a case listed as altering a precedent may have affected multiple precedents.

    Additionally, if the Court only distinguished a precedent, it was not classified as a precedent-altering case. Distinguishing a precedent involves clarifying a previous precedent rather than changing it.[106]

    Justice alignment[edit]

    The following justice alignment table shows justice agreement rates for non-unanimous rulings during the 2020-2021 term. The data does not include agreements in part.

    • The highest agreement rate was 77 percent, which applied to the following pairing:
    • Justice Brett Kavanaugh had the highest average agreement rate with each of the other eight justices at 57 percent
    • Justice Sonia Sotomayor had the lowest average agreement rate with each of the other eight justices at 36 percent

    SCOTUS case reversal rates[edit]

    See also: SCOTUS case reversal rates (2007 - Present)

    Since 2007, the Supreme Court of the United States released opinions in 1,062 cases, averaging between 70 and 90 cases per year. During that period, the Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision 751 times (70.7 percent) and affirmed a lower court decision 303 times (28.5 percent). The vast majority of cases heard by the high court originate in a lower court, such as the 13 appellate circuit courts, state-level courts, and federal district courts. Between 2007 and 2020, the high court decided more cases originating from the Ninth Circuit (207) than from any other circuit.

    For more historical term data, click here.

    Active justices[edit]

    See also: Supreme Court of the United States

    The Supreme Court consists of nine justices. Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020. As such, the 2020-2021 term began with eight justices on October 5, 2020.

    President Donald Trump (R) nominated U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ginsburg. Barrett was confirmed by a 52-48 vote of the U.S. Senate on October 26, 2020. For more information on the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court vacancy and the process to confirm Judge Barrett, click here.

    JudgeBornHomeAppointed byActivePreceededLaw school
    Alito.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Samuel Alito    		April 1, 1950Trenton, N.J.W. Bush January 31, 2006 - PresentSandra Day O'ConnorYale Law School, 1975
    Official roberts CJ.jpg
    		Chief justice 
    John Roberts    		January 27, 1955Buffalo, N.Y.W. Bush September 29, 2005 - PresentWilliam RehnquistHarvard Law, 1979
    ClarenceThomas.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Clarence Thomas    		June 23, 1948Savannah, Ga.H.W. Bush July 1, 1991 - PresentThurgood MarshallYale Law School, 1974
    Stephen Breyer.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Stephen Breyer    		August 15, 1938San Francisco, Calif.Clinton August 3, 1994 - PresentHarry BlackmunHarvard Law School, 1964
    Elena Kagan.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Elena Kagan    		April 28, 1960New York, N.Y.Obama August 7, 2010 - PresentJohn Paul StevensHarvard Law School, J.D., 1986
    Sonia Sotomayor official.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Sonia Sotomayor    		June 25, 1954New York, N.Y.Obama August 6, 2009 - PresentDavid SouterYale Law School, 1979
    NeilGorsuch.gif
    		Associate justice 
    Neil Gorsuch    		August 29, 1967Denver, Colo.Trump April 10, 2017 - PresentAntonin ScaliaHarvard Law School, 1991
    Judge Brett Kavanaugh2.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Brett Kavanaugh    		February 12, 1965Washington, D.C.Trump October 6, 2018 - PresentAnthony KennedyYale Law School, 1990
    AmyConeyBarrett.jpg
    		Associate justice 
    Amy Coney Barrett    		1972New Orleans, La.Trump October 26, 2020 - PresentRuth Bader GinsburgNotre Dame Law School, 1997


    Case history[edit]

    2019-2020 term[edit]

    See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020

    In the 2019-2020 term, SCOTUS agreed to hear 74 cases. Twelve cases were postponed to the 2020-2021 term, due to the coronavirus pandemic. One case, Sharp v. Murphy, was never scheduled for argument and another case, Walker v. United States, was dismissed without argument after the petitioner died.

    The court issued decisions in 62 cases during the 2019-2020 term. Delays from the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 caused the court to release opinions into July for the first time since 1996. Click here for more information.

    2018-2019 term[edit]

    See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019

    In the 2018-2019 term, SCOTUS agreed to consider 75 cases. The court heard oral argument in 72 cases and decided three cases without argument. Click here for more information.

    2017-2018 term[edit]

    See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018

    In the 2017-2018 term, SCOTUS agreed to hear 71 cases. Ultimately, the justices heard argument in 69 of those cases. Click here for more information.

    2016-2017 term[edit]

    See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2016-2017

    In the 2016-2017 term, SCOTUS agreed to hear 71 cases. Click here for more information.

    The court delivered 61 opinions.

    • Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, and Kennedy, wrote the most opinions—eight each.
    • Justices Alito, Kagan, Sotomayor, and Thomas each wrote seven opinions.
    • Justice Gorsuch wrote one opinion.

    The court delivered eight per curiam opinions.

    Bold Justice native ad.png

    See also[edit]

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ The New York Times, "On Language' Potus and Flotus," October 12, 1997
    2. ↑ SupremeCourt.gov, "A Brief Overview of the Supreme Court," accessed April 20, 2015
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 U.S. Supreme Court, "For Immediate Release," September 16, 2020
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 U.S. Supreme Court, "For immediate release," October 9, 2020
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Supreme Court of the United States, "Media Advisory Regarding February Teleconference Argument Audio," January 22, 2021
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 U.S. Supreme Court, "Media Advisory Regarding February Teleconference Argument Audio," February 12, 2021
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Supreme Court of the United States, "For Immediate Release, February 24, 2021," February 24, 2021
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Supreme Court of the United States, "Media Advisory Regarding Teleconference Argument Audio," April 9, 2021
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Administrative Office of the United States Courts, "Supreme Court Procedures," accessed May 23, 2019
    10. ↑ Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, "Understanding the Federal Courts," accessed May 23, 2019
    11. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Sanchez v. Wolf.
    12. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Collins v. Mnuchin.
    13. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Niz-Chavez v. Barr.
    14. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Barr v. Dai.
    15. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Americans for Prosperity v. Becerra.
    16. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Mnuchin v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
    17. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "The Court and Its Procedures," accessed February 27, 2020
    18. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Collins v. Mnuchin.
    19. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Albence v. Guzman Chavez.
    20. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Mnuchin v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
    21. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Sanchez v. Wolf.
    22. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Americans for Prosperity v. Becerra.
    23. ↑ The court initially scheduled oral arguments for this case on December 2, 2020. On November 20, 2020, the court removed this case from its December argument calendar. Supreme Court of the United States, "Order List: 592 U.S.," accessed November 20, 2020
    24. ↑ The court initially scheduled oral arguments for this case on February 22, 2021. On February 3, 2021, the court removed this case from its February argument calendar. Supreme Court of the United States, "Order List: 592 U.S.," accessed February 3, 2021
    25. ↑ The court initially scheduled oral arguments for this case on March 1, 2021. On February 3, 2021, the court removed this case from its February argument calendar. Supreme Court of the United States, "Order List: 592 U.S.," accessed February 3, 2021
    26. ↑ On March 11, the court removed the case from its March 2021 argument calendar following a request from Joe Biden's (D) acting solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar. The case had been scheduled for argument on March 29, 2021.
    27. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Court nixes upcoming argument on Medicaid work requirements," March 11, 2021
    28. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Collins v. Mnuchin.
    29. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Albence v. Guzman Chavez.
    30. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Americans for Prosperity v. Becerra.
    31. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "Press Release Regarding April Oral Argument Session," March 19, 2021
    32. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "Media Advisory Regarding January Teleconference Argument Audio," January 5, 2021
    33. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "No. 21A50 Maniscalco et al. v. New York City Department of Education, et al.,"accessed October 4, 2021
    34. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Sotomayor turns down plea to block New York City vaccine mandate," October 1, 2021
    35. ↑ Reuters, "U.S. Supreme Court's Sotomayor allows New York school vaccine mandate," October 1, 2021
    36. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "For Immediate Release: Press Release Regarding Justice Kavanaugh," October 1, 2021
    37. ↑ The Washington Post, "Justice Kavanaugh tests positive for coronavirus," October 1, 2021
    38. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Order in Pending Case," September 28, 2021
    39. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Court rejects request to postpone Texas execution," September 28, 2021
    40. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 594 U.S.) CERTIORARI GRANTED, 21-5592 RAMIREZ, JOHN H. V. COLLIER, BRYAN, ET AL.," September 8, 2021
    41. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "No. 21-5592 *** CAPITAL CASE ***," accessed September 9, 2021
    42. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Court blocks execution, will weigh in on inmate’s religious-liberty claims," September 8, 2021
    43. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Ramirez v. Collier," accessed September 9, 2021
    44. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Whole Woman's Health et al v. Jackson et al: EMERGENCY APPLICATION TO JUSTICE ALITO FOR WRIT OF INJUNCTION AND, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO VACATE STAYS OF DISTRICT COURT PROCEEDINGS," August 30, 2021
    45. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Texas abortion ban goes into effect after justices fail to act," September 1, 2021
    46. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Abortion providers ask court to block Texas ban on abortions beginning at six weeks of pregnancy," August 30, 2021
    47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 47.5 U.S. Supreme Court, "Whole Woman's Health et al v. Jackson et al: ON APPLICATION FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF," September 1, 2021
    48. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Supreme Court leaves Texas abortion ban in place," September 2, 2021
    49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 49.4 49.5 49.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    50. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, ET AL. v. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ET AL.: ON APPLICATION TO VACATE STAY," August 26, 2021
    51. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Court lifts federal ban on evictions," August 26, 2021
    52. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 594 U.S.), 21A21 BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF U.S., ET AL. V. TEXAS, ET AL.," August 24, 2021
    53. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Court won’t block order requiring reinstatement of “remain in Mexico” policy," August 24, 2021
    54. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Protect Our Parks, Inc., et al v. Buttigieg: Emergency Application for Writ of Injunction, Relief Requested by Monday, August 16, 2021," August 16, 2021
    55. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Docket No. 21A22 Protect Our Parks, Inc., et al., Applicants v. Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, et al.," accessed August 20, 2021
    56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 U.S. Supreme Court, "Chrysafis v. Marks: ON APPLICATION FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF," decided August 12, 2021
    57. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Court partially blocks New York eviction moratorium," August 12, 2021
    58. ↑ Twitter.com, "@AHoweBlogger," August 12, 2021
    59. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Barrett leaves Indiana University’s vaccine mandate in place," August 12, 2021
    60. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Alabama Association of REALTORS v. Department of Health and Human Services, June 29, 2021
    61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 594 U.S.) MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021," June 28, 2021
    62. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Gloucester County School Board v. Grimm," accessed June 28, 2021
    63. ↑ The Washington Post, "Supreme Court will not hear transgender bathroom rights dispute, a win for Virginia student who sued his school for discrimination," June 28, 2021
    64. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Justices won’t hear Missouri inmate’s request to choose firing squad over lethal injection," May 24, 2021
    65. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 593 U.S.) MONDAY, MAY 24 2021 ," May 24, 2021
    66. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 593 U.S.) MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 ," May 3, 2021
    67. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Tandon v. Newsom, decided April 9, 2021
    68. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Small v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water, accessed April 8, 2021
    69. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Small v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water: Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed April 8, 2021
    70. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison, decided June 16, 1977
    71. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Small v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water decided April 5, 2021
    72. ↑ ''U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 593 U.S.): MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2021," April 5, 2021
    73. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Justices meet in person, but April arguments to continue remotely," March 19, 2021
    74. ↑ Twitter.com, "@AHoweBlogger," March 5, 2021
    75. ↑ CNN, "All nine Supreme Court justices have been vaccinated," March 5, 2021
    76. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "No. 20-666," accessed March 5, 2021
    77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 77.2 U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 592 U.S.) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021," February 22, 2021
    78. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Dunn v. Smith, February 11, 2021
    79. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, François v. Wilkinson, January 22, 2021
    80. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Food and Drug Administration v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, January 12, 2021
    81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 SCOTUSblog, "Reversing several lower courts, justices allow execution of Lisa Montgomery," January 13, 2021
    82. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "20 -92 Montgomery v. Rosen," January 12, 2021
    83. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "20 A122 Rosen v. Montgomery," January 12, 2021
    84. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "20A124 Montgomery v. Watson," January 12, 2021
    85. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "20 A12 United States v. Montgomery," January 12, 2021
    86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 U.S. Supreme Court, Bruni v. City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, decided January 11, 2021
    87. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "20 A115 Gohmert v. Pence," January 7, 2021
    88. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, High Plains Harvest Church v. Polis, decided December 15, 2021
    89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 U.S. Supreme Court, "(ORDER LIST: 592 U.S.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2020," December 14, 2020
    90. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, Box v. Henderson, accessed February 17, 2021
    91. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "155, ORIG. TEXAS V. PENNSYLVANIA, ET AL.," December 11, 2020
    92. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "No. 22O155 Texas v. Pennsylvania," accessed February 17, 2021
    93. ↑ 93.0 93.1 SCOTUSblog, "Justices refuse to delay execution of Brandon Bernard," December 10, 2020
    94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 U.S. Supreme Court, "No. 20A110 (20–6570) Bernard v. United States," decided December 10, 2020
    95. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "ORDER LIST: 592 U.S.: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020," December 8, 2020
    96. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "No. 20-240 *** CAPITAL CASE *** Kentucky v. White," accessed February 16, 2021
    97. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Supreme Court leaves in place order requiring Pennsylvania to count absentee ballots after Election Day," October 19, 2020
    98. ↑ NBC News, "Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end census count early," October 13, 2020
    99. ↑ The New York Times, "Supreme Court Rules That Census Count Can Be Cut Short," October 13, 2020
    100. ↑ NPR, "Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration To End Census Counting On Oct. 15," October 13, 2020
    101. ↑ On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court held in a 5-4 decision that same-sex marriage is protected under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment. Consequently, same-sex marriage bans have been struck down as unconstitutional and same-sex marriages performed out-of-state must be recognized in other states. Justice Anthony Kennedy authored the opinion and Justices Ruth Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan joined.
    102. ↑ Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "Qualified immunity," accessed October 7, 2020
    103. ↑ The Washington Post, "Supreme Court will not hear Kim Davis same-sex marriage case," October 5, 2020
    104. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Albence v. Guzman Chavez.
    105. ↑ When the case was originally accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the case name was Americans for Prosperity v. Becerra.
    106. ↑ 106.0 106.1 Washington University Law, "Online Code Book - Formal Alteration of Precedent," accessed March 18, 2025
    107. ↑ Washington University Law, "2024 Supreme Court Database, Version 2024 Release 1," October 1, 2024
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