Course: Recent Supreme Court Cases
Course Description:
This course will explore recent cases before the United States
Supreme Court in areas such as freedom of speech, presidential
power, political gerrymandering, and the death penalty. Each
class will focus on a single case including major cases decided
in 2018 as well as cases the Court has agreed to review during
its 2018-2019 Term.
Below are two sections of material about the U.S. Supreme
Court. The first is General Information About the U.S. Supreme
Court and the second is Information on Specific Cases to be
discussed during the semester.
General Information About the U.S. Supreme Court
Official Website of the United States Supreme Court - https://www.supremecourt.gov
Supreme Court Procedures - website of the Administrative Office
of the U.S. Courts - http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/supreme-1
Supreme Court Rules - https://www.supremecourt.gov/filingandrules/2017RulesoftheCourt.pdf
Biographies
of Current Supreme Court Justices
The Supreme
Court Historical Society
SCOTUSblog - Supreme
Court of the United States BLOG - http://www.scotusblog.com
101 First Street - First Monday Podcasts (Introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court in Two Podcasts) (linked on the SCOTUSblog website) - http://www.scotusblog.com/2017/08/101-first-street/
SCOTUSblog Coverage of Brett Kavanaugh's Nomination to the U.S.
Supreme Court - http://www.scotusblog.com/category/nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh-to-the-supreme-court/
A Vacancy on the Court - http://supremecourt.ws
Exploring
Constitutional Law by Doug Linder
Legal Information Institute Cornell University Law School -
Previews of Supreme Court Cases - https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/oral_arg_previews.php?begin=20171001
The Echo Chamber: At America's Court of Last Resort A Handful
of Lawyers Now Dominates the Docket (A Reuter's Special
Report)
Oral
Argument of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (John Oliver's
Justices as dogs) (YouTube Video)
Information About Specific Cases on SCOTUSblog
(links to decision, oral argument audio and transcript,
decision below, and discussions about the case)
Class Materials (materials
will be added each week for our discussion in each class and
the cases will be listed in reverse order with the most recent
case at the beginning and the earliest at the end)
Week 1 (Sept 30) - Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil
Rights Commission - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/masterpiece-cakeshop-ltd-v-colorado-civil-rights-commn/
Week 2 (October 7) - Gill v. Whitford - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/gill-v-whitford/
Week 3 (October 14) - Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/minnesota-voters-alliance-v-mansky/
Week 4 (October 21) - Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/janus-v-american-federation-state-county-municipal-employees-council-31/
Week 5 (October 28) - Carpenter v. United States - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/carpenter-v-united-states-2/
Week 7 (November 11) - McCoy v. Louisiana - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/mccoy-v-louisiana/
Week 8 (November 18) National Institute of Family and Life
Advocates v. Becerra - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/national-institute-family-life-advocates-v-becerra/
Week 9 (December 2) The American Legion v. American Humanist
Association consolidated with Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission v. American Humanist Association (review
granted on November 2, 2018) - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/the-american-legion-v-american-humanist-association/
and http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/maryland-national-capital-park-and-planning-commission-v-american-humanist-association/
The remaining case for Week 10 will be selected from among the
cases that the Supreme Court has agreed to review in 2019.