Supreme Court's 'Momentous' 2017 Fall Docket: Cases to Watch
As SCOTUS takes the bench this week for the Fall 2017 term, there are several cases that will be worth watching. As the notorious RBG herself said at a recent Georgetown Law event, "There is only one prediction that is entirely safe about the upcoming term, and that is it will be momentous."
While the travel ban may be fresh in the minds of the public, other big issues are set to be decided. Some of those issues include cell phone privacy, employment law, religious freedoms, sports gambling, and even voting rights. Below, you'll find a brief summary of a few of the important cases to keep your eyes on.
Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis
This case focuses on mandatory arbitration clauses and whether employers can use them in lieu of the Federal Arbitration Act to force employees to give up their rights to assert class action, or group claims arising out of their employment.
Gil v. Whitford
Despite the traditional partisan gerrymandering of the party in control, the court may decide whether and to what extent the U.S. Constitution limits the ability of lawmakers to gerrymander voting districts.
Husted V. Randolph Institute
This case out of Ohio may answer whether voters that do not regularly vote can be purged from voter registration lists after failing to respond to a confirmation request.
Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
Can a baker be penalized for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding due to their religious views? SCOTUS may weigh in with an answer here on whether a baker's cake falls under the First Amendment's freedom of expression.
Christie V. NCAA
NJ governor Chris Christie's bid to bring legal sports gambling to the state has been fought tooth and nail every step of the way. Now the fight is going up to the highest court.
Carpenter v. U.S.
SCOTUS may decide whether police need warrants to get historical location data from cell phone service providers? This may require deciding whether the metadata that carriers use is functional (and thus not private) like the addresses on a piece of mail, or if that information is private and protected by the Fourth Amendment?
Analysts are excitedly predicting that this could be the most consequential Supreme Court term we've seen in decades. To stay current with the latest Supreme Court news, subscribe to FindLaw's SCOTUS Newsletter.
Related Resources:
- United States Supreme Court Cases (FindLaw's Cases & Codes)
- Supreme Court Postpones a Decision on Trump's Travel Ban (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- Do Judicial Interruptions Reveal Conflicts on the Supreme Court? (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)