First Monday in October
The first Monday in October is the traditional opening of the new Supreme Court term. And Oct. 5, 2009 marked the start of Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the court.
Sotomayor could be the first in a wave of new justices to join the court in the near future. Justice John Paul Stevens, age 89, has hired fewer law clerks than the other justices for next year, increasing speculation that he will retire after this year's session. And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is battling pancreatic cancer, was hospitalized in late September for an iron deficiency.
If one or both justices retire, it will give President Obama a larger role in shaping the future of the court. But don't expect major rulings to be overturned. Ginsburg and Stevens are both reliable liberal votes, which means their replacements will not change the conservative majority rule. The five conservative justices are seen as less likely to retire in the near future.
This year's Supreme Court d...
Sotomayor could be the first in a wave of new justices to join the court in the near future. Justice John Paul Stevens, age 89, has hired fewer law clerks than the other justices for next year, increasing speculation that he will retire after this year's session. And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is battling pancreatic cancer, was hospitalized in late September for an iron deficiency.
If one or both justices retire, it will give President Obama a larger role in shaping the future of the court. But don't expect major rulings to be overturned. Ginsburg and Stevens are both reliable liberal votes, which means their replacements will not change the conservative majority rule. The five conservative justices are seen as less likely to retire in the near future.
This year's Supreme Court d...
