Smart conversation from the National Constitution Center
The United States Supreme Court is the highest court of the judicial branch of government—its duty is to interpret the law. Since 1803, the Supreme Court has been understood to have the power to declare national, state, and local laws unconstitutional. Article III of the Constitution defines the Supreme Court and which cases it can hear, and how other federal courts are established.
On April 25, 1906, future Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan was born in New Jersey. During his nearly 34 years at the Court, Brennan wrote the second-most opinions in the Court’s history, including several landmark majority writings.
Not since President Harry Truman 66 years ago was denied the power to seize control of an industry vital to waging war has the Supreme Court faced a constitutional test of the Chief Executive’s authority as crucial as the one it takes up on Wednesday.
The last scheduled week of arguments in the Supreme Court’s current term features the high-profile Trump travel-ban case and yet another case about discrimination against voters.
In conjunction with his new book on William Howard Taft, National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen examines how the late President and Chief Justice would approach some of today’s biggest legal and political problems.
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is celebrating a big milestone today, as the Chicago native turns 98 years old.
Sometimes, the Supreme Court’s ultimate power to define what the Constitution means seems just too daunting for the Justices. That was the sentiment that swept across the bench Tuesday, as the Court confronted – after years of refusing to do so – the question of whether to allow states broad new freedom to tax shopping that consumers do via the Internet.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ended a potentially major data privacy case after both sides agreed that a new law from Congress made their argument moot.
The Supreme Court and a federal appeals court are now moving simultaneously to sort out a major constitutional controversy over a right to abortion for undocumented teenaged girls being held in federal immigration centers and who are now or will become pregnant.
Arguments for the current Supreme Court term are wrapping up in April as opinions in major decisions are due. Here is an update on 12 significant decisions that will be handed down from the Court into late June.
One of the most-significant cases of the Supreme Court’s current term is on shaky ground after a new law may have settled the controversy before a judicial ruling could be issued.