Marcia Coyle

August 05, 2005 |

After 11 remarkably unaltered years together, the Rehnquist Court has entered its own season of change. The retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor -- who has cast the deciding vote in so many of the Court's closest cases -- will break up one of the longest-running shows in Supreme Court history. And the show ended with a fascinating finale. "There were lots of cases raising fun and sexy issues," said Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, who argued some of those cases. "The term rocked and rolled."

By Marcia Coyle

18 minute read

August 05, 2005 |

After 11 remarkably unaltered years together, the Rehnquist Court has entered its own season of change. The retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor -- who has cast the deciding vote in so many of the Court's closest cases -- will break up one of the longest-running shows in Supreme Court history. And the show ended with a fascinating finale. "There were lots of cases raising fun and sexy issues," said Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, who argued some of those cases. "The term rocked and rolled."

By Marcia Coyle

18 minute read

August 08, 2008 |

Although the U.S. Supreme Court handed down fewer 5-4 decisions in the term just ended than in the previous one, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is still the dominant key vote. So what can be gleaned from the third term of the Roberts Court besides the 4-1-4 divide on issues triggering the most heat and debate within society today? Some trends are emerging -- and the term's headline cases demonstrate, in this election year, that who sits on the Court and who appoints them matter.

By Marcia Coyle

18 minute read

August 11, 2003 |

In the term just ended, the U.S. Supreme Court both led and followed the nation, due in part to defining affirmative action and gay rights decisions likely to have legal, political and social repercussions for years to come. But the seeds of both rulings were sown in prior decisions by their two chief authors as well as in other Court precedents. And those two rulings do not necessarily signal a change in direction so much as a move forward.

By Marcia Coyle

16 minute read