On this page, we keep ongoing statistics for the October 2021 term – dispositions by sitting, majority opinions authored by sitting, pace of grants, pace of decisions and the circuit scorecard. Our most recent Stat Pack, which includes these and other variables for the October 2021 term, can be found here (published July 1, 2022). Previous editions of the Stat Pack can be found in the Stat Pack archive.
Statistics
Arguments by Sitting
Decided cases in gray shading. Major cases in red text. Dismissed cases struck through.
Majority Opinions Authored by Sitting
| Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arguments | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 63 |
| Roberts | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Thomas | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Breyer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Alito | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Sotomayor | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Kagan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Gorsuch | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Kavanaugh | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Barrett | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Per Cur. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Opinions | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 63 |
| Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | Total |
The statistics in this chart do not include cases decided without oral argument.
Pace of Grants
The Minimum Distribution Pace presented in this chart reflects the number of petitions that must be granted to fill the court’s docket for oral argument while giving the litigants in each case a complete or near-complete briefing schedule. The pace also reflects the number of petitions raised at each conference and other factors affecting the certiorari process.
*The jump in OT20 grants in the April #1 wave signifies the court’s decision on April 13, 2020, to reschedule 10 cases from OT19 to OT20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pace of Decisions
Circuit Scorecard
| Court Below | Total | % Total | Aff’d | Rev’d | % Aff’d | % Rev’d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Cir. | 5 | 8% | 0 | 5 | 0% | 100% |
| 2nd Cir. | 5 | 8% | 0 | 5 | 0% | 100% |
| 3rd Cir. | 1 | 2% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| 4th Cir. | 3 | 5% | 1 | 2 | 33% | 67% |
| 5th Cir. | 8 | 13% | 1 | 7 | 13% | 87% |
| 6th Cir. | 7 | 11% | 1 | 6 | 14% | 86% |
| 7th Cir. | 3 | 5% | 2 | 1 | 67% | 33% |
| 8th Cir. | 2 | 3% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| 9th Cir. | 11 | 17% | 0 | 11 | 0% | 100% |
| 10th Cir. | 2 | 3% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| 11th Cir. | 4 | 6% | 3 | 1 | 75% | 25% |
| D.C. Cir. | 2 | 3% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| Fed. Cir. | 1 | 2% | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% |
| State Court | 4 | 6% | 0 | 4 | 0% | 100% |
| Dist. Court | 4 | 6% | 1 | 3 | 25% | 75% |
| Original | 1 | 2% | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% |
| Total | 63 | 100% | 11 | 52 | 17% | 83% |
Justice Agreement
| Thomas | Breyer | Alito | Sotomayor | Kagan | Gorsuch | Kavanaugh | Barrett | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts | 78% | 60% | 88% | 53% | 63% | 72% | 100% | 88% |
| Thomas | – | 45% | 90% | 38% | 48% | 77% | 78% | 86% |
| Breyer | – | – | 48% | 87% | 90% | 52% | 60% | 53% |
| Alito | – | – | – | 42% | 52% | 80% | 88% | 90% |
| Sotomayor | – | – | – | – | 90% | 52% | 53% | 47% |
| Kagan | – | – | – | – | – | 55% | 63% | 57% |
| Gorsuch | – | – | – | – | – | – | 72% | 80% |
| Kavanaugh | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 88% |
Percentage of decided cases with full merits opinions in which any two justices agree with each other in the outcome (whether to affirm or reverse the decision below).
