Legal News

Will the Supreme Court stop being lazy?

By Glen Ashman

Next Term: A Fatter, Faster Calendar for Supreme Court
Legal Times

The current term is history, so what's up for the Supreme Court's next term, which begins Oct. 6? More cases, heard more quickly, posing a range of tough and possibly divisive issues from religion in the public square to expletives on the public airwaves. The Court has already granted review in enough cases for Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. to hasten the argument calendar, making it likely that the Court will decide more cases than this term's 67, the lowest number in more than 50 years...In October and November, the justices will hear three arguments a day instead of two, likely leaving fewer cases to be argued next spring -- possibly as few as one a day. By front-loading the calendar, Roberts aims to give himself and his colleagues more decisions to write and issue through the winter, alleviating the Court's usual headlong race to finish the term's work in May and June...The other major change next term may be an uptick in the number of cases to be argued and decided. The justices are apparently sensitive about media coverage of their shrunken docket, especially at a time when Congress is considering judicial salary increases.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202422731447

Full post as published by It's (Barely) Legal on July 04, 2008 (boomark / email).