Areas of the Law

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For the past two weeks, we’ve been digging deeper on the Supreme Court’s caseload, dividing the cases by area of law into sub-areas.  This week, we’re looking at the Court’s docket of civil constitutional law cases – what kinds of cases make it to the Supreme Court?  We’ll divide the cases into four categories: cases involving the actions of state government; cases involving the actions of local governments; cases involving court process and procedure; and individual rights.  Once again, the height of a bar on the chart signifies the total number of civil constitutional law cases for the year.  The height of each colored ban in the bar signifies the number of cases involving that issue.
Continue Reading What Kinds of Civil Constitutional Law Cases Does the Supreme Court Decide (Part 1 – 1990-2004)?

Between 2005 and 2019, the Supreme Court has decided 32 insurance cases.  Twelve of those cases involved coverage issues.  Eight involved defenses to coverage.  Six cases involved exclusions to coverage.  There were three cases involving regulatory issues, two “other” and none involving excess coverage.
Continue Reading What Kinds of Insurance Cases Does the Supreme Court Decide (Part 2 – 2005-2019)?

For the past few months, we’ve been looking at the Court’s decision record and the individual Justices’ voting records in various civil and criminal areas of law.  This week, we’re beginning a deeper dive – dividing those areas of law into discrete sub-issues and tracking where the Court has been drawing its cases from.
Continue Reading What Kinds of Tort Cases Does The Supreme Court Decide (Part 1 – 1990-2004)?

Justice Theis has participated in 20 domestic relations cases since joining the Court.  She has voted for defendants in nine of those cases and for plaintiffs 11 times.  Between 2011 and 2015, she supported defendants in seven of fifteen cases.  From 2016 to 2019, she voted for defendants in two of five cases.
Continue Reading How Have Justices Theis and Neville Voted in Domestic Relations Cases?

Chief Justice Burke has participated in 33 domestic relations cases.  She has voted for defendants’ position in 14 cases and against defendants 19 times.  From 2007 to 2009, she voted for defendants in three of nine cases.  From 2010 to 2014, she voted for defendants in seven of fifteen cases.  From 2015 to 2019, she voted for defendants in four of nine cases.
Continue Reading How Has Chief Justice Burke Voted in Domestic Relations Cases?

Justice Kilbride has participated in 54 domestic relations cases since joining the Court, voting for defendants in 22 cases and against in 32.  From 2001 to 2005, he voted for defendants in nine of eighteen cases.  From 2006 to 2010, he voted for defendants in only four of fourteen cases.  From 2011 to 2015, he voted for defendants in six of seventeen cases.  From 2016 to 2019, he voted for defendants in three of five cases.
Continue Reading How Has Justice Kilbride Voted in Domestic Relations Cases?