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SCOTUS FOCUS

Questions about Thursday’s oral argument in the birthright citizenship dispute? We have (some) answers.

By Amy Howe updated on May 13 at 10:03 a.m.

The Supreme Court will hold a rare May argument in Trump v. CASA, a dispute over orders blocking the Trump administration’s effort to end birthright citizenship that came to the justices on their emergency docket. Amy Howe breaks down the case and answers key questions on what we can expect from Thursday’s session.

The Supreme Court with trees and a flag

The three consolidated cases will be heard on Thursday as Trump v. CASA. (Aashish Kiphayet via Shutterstock)

IN MEMORIAM

The heartbeat of the law is human connection

By Allison Orr Larsen on May 14 at 10:22 am

To honor Justice David Souter, who died on Thursday, we will be publishing tributes on his legacy and jurisprudence from those who knew him. Allison Orr Larsen clerked for Souter from 2005 to 2006. She reflects on the kind and thoughtful man behind the justice who was often considered shy and reclusive in public.

EMERGENCY DOCKET

Unions, advocacy group tell justices not to let DOGE access Social Security records

By Amy Howe on May 12 at 7:11 pm

Two labor unions and an advocacy group urged the justices on Monday to let stand a federal judge’s decision to temporarily block members of the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Social Security Administration records. The government faces no harm in waiting, the groups wrote. But once records are disclosed, they said, “the core harm stems from the invasion of privacy itself.”

IN MEMORIAM

David Souter, retired Supreme Court justice, dies at 85

By Amy Howe on May 9 at 10:31 am

Retired Associate Justice David Souter died on Thursday at his home in New Hampshire. He was 85. Souter served on the court from 1990 to 2009. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Republican President George H.W. Bush but became a reliable member of the court’s liberal bloc during his 19 years there – so much so that the phrase “No more Souters” became a rallying cry when future Republican presidents had the opportunity to fill vacancies on the court.

Advocates in Conversation

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San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu discusses City and County of San Francisco v. EPA, in which the court is considering whether the Environmental Protection Agency violates the Clean Water Act when it imposes generic prohibitions in a permit for a city’s water discharges, without specifying explicit standards for discharges.   
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WHAT WE’RE READING

The morning read for Wednesday, May 14

By Ellena Erskine on May 14, 2025

Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Wednesday morning read:

Coming up: On Thursday, May 15, the court expects to issue one or more opinions from the current term. The justices will then hear oral arguments in Trump v. CASA. We’ll be live at 9:30 a.m. EDT for the opinions and argument.

WHAT WE’RE READING

The morning read for Tuesday, May 13

By Ellena Erskine on May 13, 2025

Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Tuesday morning read:

Coming up: On Thursday, May 15, the court expects to issue one or more opinions from the current term. The justices will then hear oral arguments in Trump v. CASA. We’ll be live at 9:30 a.m. EDT for the opinions and argument.

WHAT WE’RE READING

The morning read for Monday, May 12

By Ellena Erskine on May 12, 2025

Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Monday morning read:

Coming up: On Thursday, May 15, the court expects to issue one or more opinions from the current term. The justices will then hear oral arguments in Trump v. CASA. We’ll be live at 9:30 a.m. EDT for the opinions and argument.

WHAT WE’RE READING

The morning read for Friday, May 9

By Ellena Erskine on May 9, 2025

The court announced this morning that Retired Associate Justice David Souter died yesterday at his home in New Hampshire. He was 85 years old.

Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Friday morning read:

EMERGENCY DOCKET

Venezuelan TPS recipients tell justices to let status stand

By Amy Howe on May 8, 2025

Lawyers for a group of Venezuelan nationals urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to keep in place a ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco that prohibits Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from ending their designation under a special immigration program giving them temporary protection from deportation. 

Granting the government’s request and putting the order by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Chen on hold “would radically shift the status quo,” wrote Ahilan Arulanantham, a UCLA law professor representing the Venezuelan citizens. It would mean that “nearly 350,000 people would immediately lose the right to live and work in this country,” Arulanantham emphasized.

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