Wednesday, September 28, 2022

First Monday in October

Monday, October 3 marks the start of the United States Supreme Court's October Term. Congress established the "first Monday in October" as the beginning of a new Court term in 1916, as seen in 28 U.S.C. § 2.

The term will be the first for new Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was sworn in on June 30 following the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. (A formal investiture ceremony for Justice Jackson will be held on Friday, September 30.)

With less than a week before the opening of oral argument, the Court looks a little more welcoming than it did at the end of the last term, although it has maintained some pandemic-era access protocols. In late August, the Court removed the 8-foot security fence that was erected in advance of the controversial opinion Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade. However, the building still remains closed to the public, except for official business. The Court began streaming real-time audio of oral argument during the pandemic, and has not yet announced any changes to that plan for the upcoming term. (UPDATED at 4:32 pm: The Court has just announced that it will continue the live audio feed of oral argument, and will allow limited public seating for oral argument during this Term.)

To learn more about individual cases on the Court's docket and petitions for certiorari under consideration, SCOTUSblog offers quick access to case information and filings on its October Term 2022 page, organized by argument date. The ABA also publishes a regular Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases (available in HeinOnline; Duke NetID required) that provides an overview as well as legal analysis of each featured case. If you are interested in attending a preview event, SCOTUSblog also has a roundup of free public events highlighting key cases from the 2022-23 October Term.

For more information on the history and practices of the U.S. Supreme Court, check out the resources linked in the library's research guide or Ask a Librarian.