Do amicus, or “friend of the court,” briefs matter in Supreme Court cases? As someone who sometimes writes and signs on to amicus briefs, I often wonder if they are worth the time and effort.

It’s the age-old question: Does the Supreme Court decide its cases based on rank partisanship rather than legal principles? Of course, this raises the obvious follow-up: Which cases are the important ...

Courtly Observations is a recurring series by Erwin Chemerinsky that focuses on what the Supreme Court’s decisions will mean for the law, for lawyers and lower courts, and for people’s lives. Please ...