Justice Amy Coney Barrett has largely been a background figure since joining the U.S. Supreme Court nearly four years ago—until now.

During the October 2023 term, the last of President Donald Trump’s three Supreme Court picks shattered her image as a passive member of the court’s conservative majority. At various points throughout the term, Barrett’s votes, opinions and oral argument questions expressed disagreement with her fellow Republican appointees, even in otherwise politically fraught cases.