Welcome to Supreme Court Brief and the last day of the December argument session. This morning the justices hear another chapter in their continuing separation-of-powers review, this one involving the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Court-appointed amicus Aaron Nielson makes his high court debut. The court's first Native American clerk shares her experiences and thoughts on assumptions and diversity. Plus: A look at the clash between religion and public health. Thanks for reading, and your feedback is welcome and appreciated. Contact Marcia Coyle at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MarciaCoyle. And contact Tony Mauro at [email protected] and on Twitter @Tonymauro.

Tackling Another 'Removal' Clause

Ah, another argument day, another separation-of-power challenge. The justices seem to be on a roll with their scrutiny of the appointment and removal of executive branch officials.

Just last term in Seila Law v. CFPB, the court severed from the statute creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the "for cause" removal restriction for the bureau director after finding the restriction on the president's power unconstitutional. This morning, the justices hear arguments in a constitutional challenge to the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency in Collins v. Mnuchin and its companion case Mnuchin v. Collins.