Sometimes an especially momentous U.S. Supreme Court term is followed by a quieter year with fewer blockbuster decisions. But that is not what we should expect when the court hands down its rulings for this term in spring 2023. Once more, the court’s docket is filled with cases of great legal and social importance that will profoundly affect the lives of many people.
After one of the most challenging periods in recent history, 2022 was a year of reemergence. We once again entered public spaces, cautiously embracing a semblance of normalcy. At the same time, the painful memories of the incredibly challenging and tumultuous years of the pandemic were ever-present in our minds.
There are pivotal years in constitutional law: 1787, when the Constitution was ratified; 1791, when the Bill of Rights was adopted; 1868, when the Fourteenth Amendment was enacted; 1937, when the Supreme Court overturned 40 years of precedents that had limited the power of Congress and state legislatures to protect workers and consumers; 1969, when the liberal Warren Court ended, and the more conservative Burger Court began. And 2022 was such a decisive turning-point year.
In Henry VI, part two, Shakespeare famously wrote, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” This type of sentiment might make someone think twice before signing up to take the LSATs. Now here’s the good news: The public treats us with deference. I would say they are actually afraid of lawyers.
In early 2020, as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to set in, our leadership team tapped into an unexpected source of inspiration: My dog—an intrepid cavalier King Charles spaniel named Rocky.
“I can’t tell you how many events I’ve gone to,” David Baldacci says, “and [lawyers] come up to me and say, ‘Oh my god, you broke out of jail! Congratulations!’”
I’m a big fan of podcasts. I’ve previously written about one I listen to daily, along with another genre-defining series I haven’t followed quite as frequently. I listen to podcasts in the morning while I stretch and organize my thoughts for the day, and I often listen to them at work while I type.
Next Monday and Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two of the most important cases of the term. Each could have enormous implications for future litigation and for constitutional law.
