Outside the Beltway

The reaction of many of the GOP candidates to the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges is about what you’d expect, but there are a few interesting surprises.

The era of legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act is over.

The Supreme Court ruled that states don’t have to grant license plates that display the Confederate flag. Their decision has the potential to seriously harm the First Amendment.

In a marked departure from recent cases, the Supreme Court rules that states can impose significant restriction on solicitation of campaign contributions in judicial elections.

A sharply divided Court heard argument today on an issue that has sharply divided the nation.

By refusing to stay the legalization of same-sex marriage in Alabama, the Supreme Court has sent the strongest signal yet that it is ready to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

The Supreme Court says that police who have a “reasonable” misunderstanding of the law can still pull you over.

The Roberts court has been very good on First Amendment issues, but it needs to address the First Amendment issue right outside its front windows.

Chief Justice Roberts lamented recently that an increasingly partisan confirmation process could mean that Justices who have contributed much to the Court would not be confirmed today. He’s right.

A case pending in Federal Court in Washington, D.C. could pose new legal problems for the Affordable Care Act

Hobby Lobby Is an important decision, but it’s one that the Supreme Court handed down a week earlier that will have the widest impact.

The Supreme Court’s next term doesn’t start for three months, but it’s becoming clear that the Justices will have to deal with marriage equality when it does.

The Supreme Court has limited the ability of public employee unions to force people to join their ranks.

A legal setback for Voter ID laws in Wisconsin.

Yesterday the Supreme Court greatly expanded the circumstances under which police can rely on anonymous tips.

In retrospect, and in comparison with other recent Presidents, George Herbert Walker Bush’s four years in office were pretty darn good.

Chief Justice Roberts is sounding the alarm over deep cuts to the public defender program.

The argument that the Roberts Court has been overly “activist” does not hold up to examination.

The Supreme Court heard argument in a major campaign finance case yesterday.

Apparently, there was a culture clash at the Grey Lady.

Chief Justice Roberts is the only person who gets to say who sits on the FISA Court.

On the whole, a complete victory for advocates of same-sex marriage today at the Supreme Court.

A big week at the Supreme Court.

The Judicial Confirmation process needs to be fixed.

The D.C. Circuit now has four vacancies out of eleven seats.

The Supreme Court has agreed to take on another big case.

The nation’s capitol is closed in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. But the Supreme Court will be reporting for duty.

If you can name at least one of these people, you know more than two-thirds of your fellow citizens.

Antonin Scalia says Supreme Court justices have a collegial relationship and make decisions based on legal philosophy, not politics.

The PPACA, the fight over it, and the Sibelius ruling all underscore this fact.

Supreme Court watchers have been speculating since Sunday night about who might have leaked confidential court information to the press.

There’s very little evidence or logic to support the attacks coming from the right against Chief Justice Roberts.

A new report will likely add fuel to the fire of conservative outrage over Chief Justice Roberts’ decision to uphold the PPACA.

One part of the Supreme Court’s PPACA ruling has not received a lot of attention, but it has the potential to have a lot of impact in the future.

Is there a logical flaw in the way Chief Justice Roberts addressed the tax issue in his opinion? Not really.

In his ruling on the ObamaCare cases, Chief Justices Roberts reached back to a judicial philosophy with roots in men like Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and Felix Frankfurter.

There is another explanation for the sometimes confusing nature of the dissent in the ObamaCare case.

Chief Justice Roberts sided with a majority in upholding the individual mandate and, indeed, all but some trivial portions of the Affordable Care Act.

Today, the Supreme Court decided that mandatory life sentences for juveniles violate the 8th Amendment.

As of today, there are 75 vacant Federal Judgeships, including one that has been open for seven years.

Is the Supreme Court risking it’s legitimacy if it strikes down the individual mandate?

This week’s hearings in the Supreme Court caught many proponents of the Affordable Care Act off guard.

The Solicitor General was unprepared to answer the most predictable question on the ObamaCare insurance mandate.