Good morning and welcome to Supreme Court Brief! The justices are back on the bench this morning. Three of the term's closely-watched cases will be heard in this argument session. We have a look at the lawyers and cases in Week 1. An interesting amicus brief in one of the three cases, United States v. Texas, offers a close look at Texas' litigating strategy. And scroll down as fallout continues for the high court in the wake of the New York Times story of another leak and an influence scheme.

Thanks for reading. We welcome feedback and tips. Contact Marcia Coyle at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MarciaCoyle. 

U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, left, and Texas Solicitor General Judd Stone, right. Courtesy photo/AP

At the Lectern: December's Big Month

The justices will hear three of the term's most closely watched cases in the two-week December argument session: United States v. Texas, a challenge to the Biden Administration's immigration enforcement priorities; 303 Creative v. Elenis, a clash between a state nondiscrimination public accommodations law and a website designer who doesn't want to work with same-sex weddings, and Moore v. Harper, the potential election law blockbuster raising the independent state legislature theory.

Twenty-three lawyers will appear at the lectern in nine cases. The number of women this session–six–is greater than the last session's two. Four of the six are from the Office of U.S. Solicitor General. The two non-government lawyers are Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom and Sarah Harris, partner at Williams & Connolly. And, 16 of the 23 lawyers are former high court clerks.