Good morning and welcome to Supreme Court Brief! The dog days of summer officially ended Aug. 11, according to the Farmer's Almanac, but don't tell that to parts of the country and world still enduring sweltering heat. The "weather" has been cooler at the high court since the blockbuster ending of the term. We're looking ahead a bit to the new term with an interview with the lawyer who will argue first on opening day—Damien Schiff of Pacific Legal Foundation in what is the longest running case of his career. Scroll down to read what former Judge J. Michael Luttig had to say about the "independent state legislature" theory being advocated in another case on the new term's docket.

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Damien Schiff of the Pacific Legal Foundation. Courtesy photo Damien Schiff of the Pacific Legal Foundation. Courtesy photo