SCOTUS actions in 2025 and 2026

Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) actions for 2025–2026, summarized monthly.

SCOTUS terms run from early October to late June/early July. “2025–2026” covers the tail end of the October Term 2024 (decisions into mid-2025) and the full October Term 2025 (Oct. 6, 2025 – ~June/July 2026).

Actions include:

• Certiorari grants/denials (via weekly or conference order lists, often Mondays).
• Oral arguments (scheduled in monthly “sittings”).
• Merits opinions (mostly issued on Thursdays or in clusters, especially spring).
• Per curiam (unsigned) decisions and shadow-docket/emergency orders (stays, injunctions on immigration, elections, executions, agencies).

Data draws primarily from the official SCOTUS opinions site, SCOTUSblog (excellent sitting-by-sitting tracking), Ballotpedia term pages, and Oyez. As of late June 2026, the 2025–2026 term had ~74 cases granted, 58 argued, and ~59–61 merits opinions/decisions issued (plus ~9–11 per curiam/no-argument cases), with a handful still pending or wrapping up.

October Term 2024 (Key 2025 Actions)

The Court issued ~67 opinions by June 30, 2025.

Notable June 2025 decision: United States v. Skrmetti (argued Dec. 2024, decided June 18, 2025). In a 6-3 opinion by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments (puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones) for transgender minors. It held the law was subject only to rational-basis review (classifications based on age and medical use, not sex per se) and satisfied that standard. This was a major win for state regulatory authority over youth gender medicine. Justice Sotomayor dissented (joined by Kagan and Jackson).

Other 2024–2025 term cases involved guns, environment, administrative law, criminal procedure, and civil rights. The term concluded with summer recess in 2025; the new term began October 6, 2025.

October Term 2025 (2025–2026 Term) — Overview

• Stats (as of late June 2026): 74 granted, 58 argued, ~59–61 decisions/opinions, ~8 pending or recently resolved. Many opinions were unanimous or lopsided (9-0, 8-1, 8-0) on procedural, statutory, or narrower issues; more divided (6-3, 5-4) on hot-button topics.
• Major themes: Limits on executive power (tariffs), free speech/viewpoint neutrality (conversion therapy), narrowing of Voting Rights Act Section 2 remedies and race-conscious redistricting, state authority on social/medical issues, immigration procedure, preemption/business-friendly outcomes in some regulatory cases, and many consensus rulings on standing, jurisdiction, and statutory interpretation.
• Cert grants: Ongoing via order lists throughout (bulk early for the term’s docket; additional grants in summer/fall 2025 and into 2026 for future terms).
• Arguments: Clustered in sittings (Oct, Nov, Dec 2025; Jan–Apr 2026). Final regular arguments April 20–29, 2026.
• Opinions: Sparse early (mostly per curiam in fall/winter); heavy cluster April–June 2026, especially late June.

Monthly / Sitting Breakdown (2025–2026 Term)

October 2025 (Term opens Oct. 6; October sitting arguments) Term begins. October sitting heard ~10 cases. Key argued cases later decided included Chiles v. Salazar (conversion therapy), Louisiana v. Callais (voting rights/redistricting), Bost v. Illinois, Berk v. Choy, Villarreal v. Texas, Barrett v. United States, Case v. Montana, and others. Many later resolved unanimously or broadly. Regular order lists continued granting/denying cert. Few signed opinions this early.

November 2025 (November sitting arguments) ~9 cases argued, including Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (consolidated tariffs/IEEPA case — major later decision), Hencely v. Fluor, Rico v. United States, GEO Group v. Menocal, Fernandez v. United States, and Rutherford v. United States. Early per curiam opinions appeared (e.g., Nov. 24). Cert activity continued.

December 2025 (December sitting arguments + first opinions) ~8 cases argued, including Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment (copyright), First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Davenport, Olivier v. City of Brandon, and agency/campaign-finance matters (Trump v. Slaughter, NRSC v. FEC). Only a couple of opinions (mostly per curiam, e.g., Dec. 8). Arguments wrapped for the calendar year; more grants/denials via orders.

January 2026 (January sitting arguments + opinion ramp-up) Arguments continued (~7 cases). Notable opinions issued, many unanimous or near-unanimous: e.g., Bowe v. United States (Jan. 9, 5-4 Sotomayor), Bost v. Illinois (Jan. 14, 7-2 Roberts), Barrett v. United States (Jan. 14, 9-0 Jackson), Case v. Montana (Jan. 14, 9-0 Kagan), Berk v. Choy (Jan. 20, 9-0 Barrett), Ellingburg v. United States (Jan. 20, 9-0 Kavanaugh). Transgender athletes cases (Little v. Hecox, West Virginia v. B.P.J.) argued around this period.

February 2026 (February sitting + key decision) Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (tariffs under IEEPA) decided Feb. 20, 2026 (6-3, Roberts): The International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the President to impose tariffs in this context — a notable limit on executive power. Other opinions issued. Arguments in Feb. sitting (~7 cases) included Exxon Mobil v. Corporación Cimex (Cuba claims) and others.

March 2026 (March sitting + major opinions) Key decisions: Cox Communications v. Sony Music (March 25, 9-0 Thomas — reversed/remanded on copyright), Chiles v. Salazar (March 31, 2026, 8-1 Gorsuch): Colorado’s conversion-therapy ban, as applied to a counselor’s talk therapy, regulates speech on the basis of viewpoint and requires rigorous First Amendment scrutiny (not rational basis). Reversed and remanded (likely to invalidate the ban on remand). Broad majority including Kagan and Sotomayor; Jackson dissented. Other opinions (e.g., Rico, Olivier). Arguments continued.

April 2026 (Final regular arguments April 20–29 + cluster of decisions) ~9 cases argued (last regular sitting). Major opinions: Chevron USA v. Plaquemines Parish (April 17, vacated/remanded 8-0 Thomas — environmental/accountability case), Louisiana v. Callais (April 29, 2026, 6-3 Alito): Struck down Louisiana’s congressional map (second majority-Black district created to remedy VRA dilution) as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Significant narrowing of Voting Rights Act Section 2; states may justify maps with partisan or incumbent-protection goals even if they reduce minority voting power. Kagan dissent (joined by Sotomayor, Jackson). Other April opinions included Enbridge, Hencely, and First Choice Women’s.

May 2026 (Opinion announcements continue) Cluster of decisions, e.g.: Rutherford v. United States and Fernandez v. United States (May 28, Barrett opinions), Flowers Foods v. Brock (May 28, 9-0 Gorsuch), Hamm v. Smith (May 21, per curiam 5-4 — dismissed as improvidently granted), Havana Docks, Montgomery, and others. More per curiam and signed opinions.

June 2026 (Final opinions + term wind-down) Heavy final push with opinions June 22–25 (and around June 18/23). Notable: Monsanto v. Durnell (June 25 — FIFRA expressly preempts state failure-to-warn claim on Roundup labeling), Mullin v. Doe and Mullin v. Al Otro Lado (June 25 — limits on judicial review of TPS/immigration claims, equal-protection issues), Exxon Mobil v. Corporación Cimex (June 23, 6-3 Kavanaugh — Cuba confiscation claims), Landor v. Louisiana Dept. of Corrections (June 23, 6-3 Gorsuch), Wolford v. Lopez (June 25, 6-3 Alito), Pung v. Isabella County, and others. Term concludes; last order lists; summer recess begins (justices leave for summer; next term OT 2026 starts Oct. 2026). Some matters resolved or carried over.

Additional Notes

• Shadow docket / emergency applications: Active year-round (immigration enforcement, election rules, stays of execution, agency actions). Not always fully explained.
• Unanimous or broad consensus: Common on many statutory, procedural, and narrower constitutional issues.
• Divided cases: Often 6-3 or 5-4 on voting rights/redistricting, executive power, speech in professional contexts, and social/medical regulation.
• Sources for deeper dives: supremecourt.gov/opinions (slip opinions by term), scotusblog.com (term page, statistics by sitting, case tracking), Ballotpedia and Oyez term summaries.

This is a high-level monthly/sitting overview of the major actions and notable holdings.