Kelsey Dallas

As we draw closer to the “ long conference ” on Sept. 28, our petitions page is filling up with notable petitions for review that are scheduled to be discussed. As Amy reported last year, over the past decade, the justices have granted between five and 15 petitions from this conference.

Justice James Wilson died on this day in 1798. This summer, Jesse Wegman published a biography

As we’ve noted before, we read a lot of legal news each week while preparing this newsletter. Here’s the most memorable headline we’ve seen recently: Netflix sued by band Demon Hunter over ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

Justice Lewis Powell died on this day in 1998. During his time on the Supreme Court, Powell was considered a moderate, leaning “to the right on some key issues and to the left on others.” CNN recently described him as one of a series of justices who occupied a “pragmatic center.”

Registration is now open for The SCOTUSblog Summit: 2026 Term Preview, which will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in Washington, D.C. Programming will include a keynote address featuring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA); a live taping of the Advisory Opinions podcast; a fireside chat with Cooley partner Elizabeth Prelogar; and a panel featuring Brett Gerry (Boeing’s chief legal officer), Brian Callanan (TD Bank’s general counsel), and Jeff Taylor (ExxonMobil’s general counsel). Use this registration link to request a spot at this exciting event.

During the 2025-26 term, the justices pondered the Founding Fathers’ drinking habits as they considered a law barring habitual drug users from possessing guns. In the term ahead, they may return to the topic of alcohol in early America if they take up a case on a 19th-century law prohibiting at-home production of distilled spirits. Indeed, the court and alcohol have a long history: Here’s a brief overview of some of the court’s most notable alcohol-related rulings.

Plus, a man was arrested after a guillotine was parked next to the Supreme Court.

Tomorrow (Aug. 29) is Justice Neil Gorsuch’s birthday. Born in 1967, Gorsuch has served on the Supreme Court since 2017.

Yesterday marked 59 years since the Senate confirmed the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court, clearing the way for him to become the first Black justice.

Welcome to September, the final month of the justices’ summer recess. This time next month, we’ll be busy previewing the first oral arguments of the 2026-27 term.