The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the head of the federal judiciary — nine justices, appointed for life by the President and confirmed by the Senate. It almost never holds trials. Instead it sits atop the appeals system, choosing a tiny number of cases each year to resolve questions of federal law and the Constitution. Its rulings bind every other court in the country. Because the justices serve until they die, retire, or are removed, a single appointment can shape American law for a generation — which is why each vacancy has become a political event of the first order.

Most coverage focuses on the ~60 argued cases that get full briefing, oral argument, and a signed opinion. But a growing share of the Court's most consequential action now happens on the "shadow docket" — the emergency or "interim" docket, where the Court rules on urgent applications (stays, injunctions, requests to pause or restart a policy) often within days, frequently without argument and sometimes without any written explanation.

These orders can have nationwide effect — freezing a federal program or letting it proceed for years while litigation grinds on. Critics across the spectrum argue the practice lets the Court make law without the transparency of a normal opinion. The emergency docket's volume and stakes are charted in the "What's Changed Lately" tab.

Six justices were appointed by Republican presidents, three by Democratic presidents — the 6-3 split that defines the current Court.