• November 9: HOFFMANN v. WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION. The Court will hear oral arguments whether state or federal law applies for compensation in a case of land seizure under legal eminent domain using the Natural Gas Act. The question before the Court is: When a private comopany uses the Natural Gas Act to seize someone's land for natural gas infrastructure, does state law determine how much compensation the landowner receives?

• November 9: NIELSEN v. WATANABE. The Court will hear oral arguments about the suing via use of the Bivens doctrine* via the Eighth Amendment for inadequate medical care in federal prison. The question before the Court is: Can a federal prisoner sue prison officials for money damages un the Bivens doctrine for deliberate indifference to a non-life-threatening injury?

*The Bivens doctrine is a legal rule from the US Supreme Court that allows individuals to sue federal officers in their individual capacities for money damages when the officers violate certain constitutional rights.

• November 10: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR v. SUN VALLEY ORCHARDS, LLC. The Court will hear oral arguments to determine which court (federal court or Department of Labor Administrative Law Judges) may decide violations of worker contracts and collect subsequent fines for such. The question before the Court is: May the Department of Labor legally use its own administrative proceedings to collect money from employers who violate worker contracts, or does the Constitution require such cases to be decided by a federal court?

Use These Resources to Keep Up on SCOTUS Decisions and Rulings

Courts Matter Illinois is committed to keeping our audience informed of activities on key cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. This includes when to listen in on oral arguments, when decisions on cases are handed down, what cases are on the shadow docket and which cases advance to the next term. 

In addition, here are other expert resources that keep up with SCOTUS for you to connect with:

• NCJW: What’s At Stake: US Supreme Court 2026-2027 Term

• Alliance for Justice: Supreme Court Term Preview and Holding Court video

• Brennan Center for Justice: Judicial Diversity Resource Page

• Center for American Progress: Previewing the 2026-2027 Supreme Court Term: Continuing the Rightward March

• Democracy Forward: The People’s Guide to the US Supreme Court 2026-2027 Term

• Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

• Crooked Media's Strict Scrutiny podcast

• Democracy Docket

• Lawfare Media

• SCOTUS Blog

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