Preview of Next Supreme Court Term

COMMENTARY Courts

Preview of Next Supreme Court Term

Sep 17, 2013 1 min read
COMMENTARY BY

Former Legal Fellow and Appellate Advocacy Program Manager

Elizabeth Slattery researches and writes on the rule of law, separation of powers, civil rights, and other constitutional issues.

Monday, October 7, marks the beginning of the Supreme Court’s next term. The last term included a number of high-profile cases involving voting rights, same-sex marriage, drug-sniffing dogs, and racial preferences in college admissions. So what is on deck for this next term?

There are a number of cases already lined up. Some of the potentially big cases are:

  • McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission: Are aggregate limits on contributions to federal candidates, political action committees, and party committees constitutional?
  • McCullen v. Coakley: Can a state ban pro-life speech outside abortion clinics while allowing pro-abortion speech?
  • Town of Greece v. Galloway: Does a town violate the Establishment Clause by opening its board meetings with a prayer?
  • Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action: May states limit the use of racial preferences by amending their constitutions?
  • Bond v. United States: What is the scope of the Treaty Power? Can the President, the Senate, and a foreign country conspire to expand the powers of the federal government through treaties?
  • National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning: Who decides when Congress is in “recess” for the purpose of making presidential appointments: the President or the Senate?

How will these cases play out? Did any trends emerge from last term that will affect the upcoming term? To learn more about the 2013–2014 term, join us at Heritage on Tuesday, September 24, at noon or watch online for the third-annual Supreme Court Preview. Former Solicitor General Paul Clement and prominent appellate lawyer and blogger John Elwood will discuss how the next term is likely to unfold. This event is part of the Preserve the Constitution series. Check out all the events here.

This piece originally appeared in The Daily Signal

Exclusive Offers

5 Shocking Cases of Election Fraud

Read real stories of fraudulent ballots, harvesting schemes, and more in this new eBook.

The Heritage Guide to the Constitution

Receive a clause-by-clause analysis of the Constitution with input from more than 100 scholars and legal experts.

The Real Costs of America’s Border Crisis

Learn the facts and help others understand just how bad illegal immigration is for America.