Senate Judiciary Committee

At a hearing on June 24, the committee heard from Judge Daniel Domenico nominee to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and Judge Matthew Byrne to the District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) asked pointed questions of Judge Byrne on his anti-abortion positions and decisions as an Ohio judge. And, as in every hearing, the nominees were asked about the 2020 election results and January 6 insurrection. The nominees gave the standard replies. 

Future mark-ups and hearings will take place after the July 4 recess.

Save July 6 at 11AM CT and Register for Webinar on Blockbuster SCOTUS Cases

Join our national partner National Council of Jewish Women on July 6 at 11am CT (12PM ET) for “Gavel Down: The Supreme Court’s Biggest Cases of the 2025-2026 Term.” 

Dahlia Lithwick, award-winning legal journalist, longtime Supreme Court correspondent for Slate, and host of the acclaimed Amicus podcast will help us break down the blockbuster cases shaping the country’s future — from reproductive freedom and executive power to lgbtq rights and the limits of federal authority. 

Together, we’ll explore how the Court’s rulings will impact our rights and communities, what these decisions signal about the direction of the Court, and what advocates, organizers, and everyday people should be prepared for in the months and years ahead. 

This conversation will provide both clarity and context at a pivotal moment for the nation, helping us understand not only what the Court decides, but what those decisions mean for our democracy, institutions, and daily lives. Register here.

Register for SCOTUS 2026 Review with CLE Credit from ACS July 29

Join the American Constitution Society Chicago Lawyer Chapter, the ACLU of Illinois, and Mayer Brown on Wednesday, July 29th at 12:00 PM CT for their annual Supreme Court Review. The event will be held in-person at Mayer Brown (71 S Wacker Drive, Chicago) and streamed virtually.

They will review the U.S. Supreme Court Term and several cases, including on voting rights, birthright citizenship, executive power, LGBTQ rights, immigrants' rights, and more. 

The program will also include a discussion of trends in the Supreme Court and panelists will answer audience questions. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

Register!

Supreme Court Hearings Conclude for 2025-26 Term; Stay Tuned for Decision Updates

Weekly Wrap Up: As of June 26 

(We'll Return Fourth of July Holiday)

There are many things in Washington, DC, that are not clear — the real reason for the war in Iran, the thinking behind the president’s last-minute refusal to sign a bipartisan affordable housing bill, and, of course, the algae-choked Reflecting Pool. 

But the politics and ideological leanings of the US Supreme Court’s majority is clear as day as evidenced by the number of 6-3 decisions released over the last several days.

Blanche v. Lau

On June 23, the Court handed down five decisions, among which was a 6-3 immigration decision in Blanche v. Lau in which the conservative majority said that the government could deny green-card holders reentry into the US even without “clear and convincing evidence” that they committed a disqualifying crime. In her dissent, joined by the Court’s liberal justices, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed concern that the Court handed the government “a massive blank check” that would put lawful permanent residents into “immigration limbo.” 

Landor v. Louisiana

On the same day, in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, which seemed to be a perfect example of the kind of religious discrimination that Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) was enacted to prevent, the six-person conservative majority ruled against the wronged prisoner. 

After crumbling up the appeals court order protecting Mr. Landor’s right as a Rastifarian to keep the dreadlocks he had maintained for 20 years, officials at the Louisiana prison restrained him and shaved off his hair, a sign of his religious beliefs. 

The Supreme Court majority, while evincing some sympathy for his plight, nevertheless held that he did not have the right to sue the officials which flies in the face of past decisions taken by the same justices. Again writing the dissent, Justice Jackson decried the impact of taking away an important remedy needed to enforce RLUIPA’s protections. 

Mullin v. Doe

Decisions handed down on June 25 also showed the clear ideological divide on the court. Among the four decisions announced were two cases that validated the Trump administration’s immigration policies and another troubling gun safety ruling. 

In Mullin v. Doe, the conservative majority cleared the way for the administration to end Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians who have lived and worked legally in the US for decades — impacting about 350,000 Haitians and more than 6,000 Syrians. 

Mullin v. Al Otro Lado

A 6-3 majority in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado agreed with the Trump administration policy of turning asylum seekers back before they reach the border thus preventing them from exercising their rights to be processed for asylum because they weren’t physically “in” the US. 

In her dissent, Justice Sonya Sotomayor writing for the Court’s liberal wing cited the tragedy of the St. Louis, a boat of 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution before World War II that was turned back without allowing anyone to disembark and apply for asylum. Most of the passengers were interned in death camps upon their return to Europe. She warned that the majority’s decision “slammed the door shut” which could result in death for modern-day asylum seekers, too. 

Wolford v. Lopez

With the same 6-3 ideological split, the Court struck down a Hawaii law that allowed private property owners to bar guns on their property unless the gun-owners obtained permission from the property owners. The Wolford v. Lopez decision is yet another dangerous Supreme Court ruling decimating commonsense gun safety laws. Monday is the next decision day. 

Confirmations Before Holiday Break

Meanwhile the Senate has adjourned for the July 4 holiday, but beforehand confirmed John Marck to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas (52-45) and Michael Hendershot to the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (50-44). They also invoked cloture on Matthew Schwartz (opposed by Courts Matter Illinois) to the Second Circuit Court and Arthur Jones to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas. 

Headlines

(Scotusblog) Key takeaways from a jam-packed order list

(Bloomberg) Judges jockey for potential Supreme Court appointment

(WashPost) There are no Supreme Court vacancies but some judges are acting like there might be

(Hill) DOJ snubs judge’s demand on anti-weaponization fund

(Nomination Notes) Senate Republicans celebrate Dobbs anniversary by advancing anti-abortion nominees

Doing Nothing is Not Acceptable