Cleveland Law Library Weblog

Supreme Court Code of Conduct

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court announced that it has formally adopted a code of conduct for the justices. The court issued a 15-page document that included five canons of conduct on issues such as when justices should recuse themselves and acceptable outside activities. 

SCOTUS Narrows Universal Injunctions

The United States Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, recently ruled on the scope of universal injunctions issued by federal courts. The case stemmed from legal challenges to an executive order issued by President Trump concerning birthright citizenship. However, the Court's majority opinion, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, did not address the constitutionality of the executive order itself. Instead, the ruling focused on the authority of federal courts to issue nationwide blocks against government policies. The Court determined that such universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority historically granted to federal courts, emphasizing that relief should generally be tailored to the specific plaintiffs involved in a case. This decision impacts how future challenges to executive actions may be litigated, requiring lower courts to reconsider the breadth of their injunctions and allowing 30 days for President Trump's birthright citizenship order to take effect, absent further legal action.

Read the full opinion of the Court online.

Understanding Birthright Citizenship

In this episode of Law Library Insights, we take a closer look at birthright citizenship in the United States. From the drafting of the 14th Amendment to recent legal challenges and executive actions, we break down where the law stands—and where it may be headed as the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in. Check it out!

The Dispatch Acquires SCOTUSblog

SCOTUSblog has been acquired by Dispatch Media, Inc. Since its founding nearly 25 years ago, SCOTUSblog has been a trusted resource for journalists, lawyers, and court watchers alike. It has grown into the most comprehensive independent resource on the Supreme Court, known for its detailed case analysis and real-time reporting. This partnership will restore and expand SCOTUSblog’s publishing capabilities, including full analysis of all merits cases and oral arguments. The site will remain free and nonpartisan, with all future content now falling under The Dispatch’s copyright. 

"RBG": Documentary About U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Premier May 4th

Last year, our Law Library held a great book discussion about the book My Own Words by United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams. The 'Notorious RBG,' who abovethelaw calls a "flaming feminist litigator," will be starring in a documentary this Spring. The movie titled RBG will air at selected theaters on May 4th this year. Click here to watch the trailer.

Cleveland Law Library Hosting Book Discussion of My Own Words by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Friday, 3/31/17

Our Law Library, the Cleveland Law Library, is hosting a Book Discussion of My Own Words by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this Friday, 3/31/17. This program is a joint collaboration with the Cleveland Public Library, and the Honorable Cassandra Collier Williams of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court will serve as the program's Special Guest.. The Book Discussion will be held in the Law Library's Conference Room from 12:30-2:00 p.m. on the 4th floor of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse, 1 West Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113. Click here for the flyer for the program with additional details. 

U.S. Supreme Court Launches Tool in Beta for Searching the Text of Oral Arguments

The United States Supreme Court has just created a new tool in beta for searching the text of oral arguments back to 1950. As of today, users can search the text of 1,431,579 individual statements in 6,709 oral arguments. Users can search by search term, search type (e.g., case name, case number, petitioner, respondent), Court Term (e.g., 2015), or speaker.

Audio recordings and transcripts of recent U.S. Supreme Court cases can be found on the bottom of the page here. Since 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court has archived all audio recordings of oral arguments online here. Same-day full transcripts of oral arguments since the year 2000 are also archived online at the U.S. Supreme Court's web site here. More Court information on oral arguments is available here.

You Now Have to Be a Lawyer to Argue Before the U.S. Supreme Court

The United States Supreme Court has just changed its rules of practice. According to new Rule 28.8, you now have to be a lawyer to argue before the Court. The Rule specifically states that:

"8. Oral arguments may be presented only by members of 
the Bar of this Court. Attorneys who are not members of 
the Bar of this Court may make a motion to argue pro hac
vice under the provisions of Rule 6. "

According to the AP, "[t]he high court says the new rule simply codifies a "long-standing practice of the court."" However, the AP also indicates that a magazine publisher, an entrepreneur and a paralegal-in-training have unsuccessfully tried to argue their cases over the past year.

U.S. Supreme Court Began a New Term Today, October 1, 2012

The United States Supreme Court began a new term today, October 1, 2012. By law, the Court begins a new term with the first Monday in October. The Court's website lists the days the Justices will be hearing oral argument and what cases are scheduled to be heard. Many sites have previewed the cases the Court will hear this term. Check out these few: Cornell's Legal Information Institute & NPR.

U.S. Supreme Court Opens New Term Today

The United States Supreme Court opens its 2011-2012 term today. Several of the major issues the Court will be addressing are the Obama administration's health care law, immigration, and affirmative action. A Chicago Tribune article from today summarizes all of the major cases on the Court's docket.

U.S. Courts Launch Podcast Series on Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Cases

The U.S. Courts website has launched a brand new series of podcasts on landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases. According to the press release, new episodes will air each month and contain discussions by law professors about Supreme Court cases "that have shaped American life." The press release also indicates that "Each episode will explain the case’s background, the key arguments, the decision, and why the case has continuing importance today." The first two podcasts currently available cover Mapp v. Ohio (1961) and Texas v. Johnson (1989).