Welcome to Supreme Court Brief. After issuing orders from Friday's conference at 9:30 a.m. Monday, the justices will take the bench at 10 a.m. for the start of the March argument session. The court will have a full caseload over the next two weeks as they approach the end of the October 2023 term.

Indeed, with a little more than 100 days before the typical start of their summer recess in July, the justices are starting to issue their decisions in cases argued back in the fall. On Friday, the court announced its opinions in a trio of cases heard in October and November dealing with sentencing relief under the First Step Act and the First Amendment implications of public officials using social media.

The court is expected to announce further opinions on Tuesday. The last two pending October cases involve a Republican attempt to reinstate a South Carolina congressional map struck down as an illegal "racial gerrymander," and a major administrative law case asking whether the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is unconstitutional.