Justice Samuel Alito marked 20 years on the Supreme Court on Saturday, reaching a tenure milestone amid persistent questions about his potential retirement from the nation's highest court.
Alito took his seat on the Supreme Court on Feb. 1, 2006, after being confirmed by the Senate to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The question of whether the 75-year-old justice might retire came up frequently at the end of the court's last term, but President Donald Trump said in December that he hopes Alito remains on the court.
The milestone comes as the Supreme Court prepares for a busy spring schedule of oral arguments and pending decisions. On Friday, the court announced the cases it will hear during its March argument session, which will take place from March 23-25 and then from March 30 to April 1.
Most notably, oral arguments in the birthright citizenship case *Trump v. Barbara* are scheduled for Wednesday, April 1. The case represents one of the most closely watched constitutional challenges of the current term, as it could reshape fundamental questions about citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
The court currently has several time-sensitive matters pending on its interim docket that could be decided at any moment. On Jan. 20, a group of California Republicans asked the court to block the state from using its new redistricting map in this year's elections. The case is now fully briefed, and the court's decision could come at any time, potentially affecting upcoming electoral contests in the nation's most populous state.
Another California case awaiting decision involves the state's policies regarding parental notification when public school students choose to use different pronouns or a different gender identity. This case touches on contentious issues around parental rights, student privacy, and gender identity policies in public schools.
The court has not yet indicated when it will next release opinions. If the court follows its typical pattern, the earliest the next opinion day may be Friday, Feb. 20, when the justices are next scheduled to be in the courtroom. The court will resume hearing oral arguments on Monday, Feb. 23, the first day of its February sitting.
Alito's two decades on the court have been marked by his consistent conservative jurisprudence and influential role in major decisions. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Alito has been part of the court's conservative majority that has reshaped American law on issues ranging from abortion rights to gun regulations to religious liberty.
Retirement speculation around Alito and other older justices has intensified in recent years as political control of the White House affects the ideological composition of the court. With Trump now back in office, conservative justices may feel more comfortable retiring knowing their replacements would likely share similar judicial philosophies.
The court's current term includes several other high-profile cases beyond the birthright citizenship challenge. The justices are grappling with questions involving free speech, regulatory authority, and constitutional interpretation that could have far-reaching implications for American law and governance.
Meanwhile, new research highlighted by The National Law Journal shows a stark drop in appeals filed by indigent litigants at the Supreme Court. Appeals from poor litigants have fallen precipitously over recent terms, with the court receiving around 2,500 appeals from indigent petitioners in its most recent term—just under half the number from six years ago and about one-third the number filed two decades ago.
Legal experts remain uncertain about what's driving this trend, though political scientists note the decrease among indigent filers has been much starker than the corresponding decrease in filings from paying petitioners.
As Alito begins his third decade on the court, questions about the future composition of the Supreme Court continue to loom large in legal and political circles. The timing of any potential retirement could significantly impact the court's ideological balance and the trajectory of American constitutional law for years to come.
The court's March and April argument schedule promises to deliver significant decisions that could affect millions of Americans, with the birthright citizenship case potentially representing one of the most consequential constitutional rulings in recent memory.