OT2017 #2: “Who is the River Master?”

The Supreme Court is one week into the new term, and were here to catch you up. We recap last weeks arguments, including the major partisan gerrymandering case,Gill v. Whitford.Wisconsin Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin, who argued the case for the state, joins us as a guest to help walk us through what went down at the argumentand to help us figure out what the justices might be thinking. We also discuss whether Justice Neil Gorsuch tipped his hand in either of the reargued immigration cases, Jennings v. Rodriguez and Sessions v. Dimaya; and what the law of contracts can tell us about the plea-bargaining case Class v. United States. We also briefly preview this weeks arguments, including Jesner v. Arab Bank, an important case about the scope of the Alien Tort Statute.

And, of course, we try to solve a lot of mysteries, too. Who is the mysterious River Master, and how can you become one? Why were all the justices but one recused from a case on the orders list? What the heck is going on with the new Supreme Court transcriptionist? Why does the solicitor generals office have an award named after Orestes Minnie Mioso? And are the Firsties drunk-dialing the First Mondays hotline?