The 2024 appellate almanac is looking lively after eye-popping opinions and arguments in 2023's homestretch. As the new year begins, several circuit splits seem more serious, ideological imbalances are in the spotlight, and luminaries of the U.S. Supreme Court bar are locked in a burgeoning battle over alleged corporate complicity in terrorism.
A former BigLaw partner in his 30s made history by joining a preeminent circuit court, a former BigLaw partner in his 50s made waves by leaving the largest circuit, and a former chemist in her 90s made enemies by resisting a probe on the most specialized circuit. That's a small sample of the intrigue that flourished in 2023 throughout the federal appellate system, where diversity bloomed and controversy abounded.
One of the most heavily litigated laws at the U.S. Supreme Court three-strikes sentencing instituted under a Reagan-era clampdown on street violence and drugs returns to the high court Monday, but this visit will be anything but ordinary, occurring amid an eruption of circuit court conflicts and presenting the prospect of a jolt to the nation's criminal defense docket.
The Chevron Doctrine what is often referred to as “Chevron deference” – is based on the precedent set by the Supreme Court about four decades ago, which some argue has overly.
Earlier this month, SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein announced a "new look" for his celebrated chronicle of the U.S. Supreme Court. But the pioneering litigator is now rebutting reactions from peers who publicly proclaimed that the makeover reflected "SCOTUSblog slowly dying away," "a real loss," and the start of "a slow farewell to a venerable institution."