The Supreme Court returns to session on Oct. 7 with a docket that includes cases on transgender rights, gun control, pornography regulations, and flavored vaping, promising to be yet another blockbuster term.
One of the most significant cases the nine justices will examine is the legality of state bans on medical treatments for transgender children. The high court will also review two cases that could reshape gun regulations, including those related to ghost guns, and redefine corporate responsibility in the tech sector.
Depending on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Supreme Court may also be asked to address election-related disputes that test the limits of the Electoral Count Act, which would add to an already dramatic summer of Trump-related rulings from the summer.
The term begins amid Democratic-led scrutiny over the high court’s transparency and impartiality. Controversies regarding undisclosed gifts to conservative justices and polarizing rulings have rejuvenated calls by some Democrats to pack the Supreme Court, which is composed of a 6-3 Republican-appointed majority.
According to a July 2024 Pew Research survey, 47% of the nation held a favorable view of the high court after a consequential term, not far from the historic lows recorded just after the 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The more recent term concluded this summer with decisions on presidential immunity, access to abortion medication, and gun restrictions for people under domestic violence restraining orders.
Here are just some of the key cases the court will address this term:
Tennessee’s ban on gender transition treatments for minors
In United States v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court will consider Tennessee’s law prohibiting transgender medical treatments, such as puberty blockers and gender-transition surgeries, for minors. This marks the first time the justices will evaluate the constitutionality of such bans, which have been enacted in several Republican-led states. The Biden-Harris administration argues that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause by discriminating against transgender individuals, while Tennessee defends it as necessary to protect children from receiving potentially irreversible treatments.
An oral argument date has not yet been scheduled.
Ghost gun regulations
In Garland v. VanDerStok, the high court will review a challenge to the Biden-Harris administration’s rule regulating ghost guns, which are untraceable firearms that can be assembled from kits. The rule mandates that key components must be serialized and sold with background checks. The regulation, aimed at curbing gun violence, has faced opposition from gun manufacturers and owners, who argue that it exceeds the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’s authority.
Justices will hear oral arguments on Oct. 8 in the case.
Pornography website age verification
The high court will assess the legality of a Texas law that requires age verification for users of pornographic websites such as Pornhub in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. While Texas argues that the law is necessary to protect minors, critics contend it infringes on adults’ First Amendment rights and raises privacy concerns about personal information submission.
An oral argument date has not yet been scheduled.
Flavored vapes and e-cigarettes
In Food and Drug Administration v. Wages and White Lion Investments, the Supreme Court will evaluate the FDA’s rejection of marketing applications for flavored e-cigarettes. The FDA argues these products appeal to minors, while the companies claim the agency imposed new requirements without proper notice.
An oral argument date has not yet been scheduled.
Meta’s appeal in the Cambridge Analytica scandal
Meta will appeal a class action lawsuit stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal in Amalgamated Bank v. Meta. Shareholders allege that Meta misled them about data security risks, leading to financial losses. Meta contends that it should not be held accountable for disclosing past incidents that no longer pose a threat.
Justices will hear oral arguments on Nov. 6.
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The list for now is short, as the justices are still prepared to add 30 or more cases. The Supreme Court has only chosen 28 cases so far to consider on the merits, just under half of its average caseload in recent years.
More cases are likely to be granted just before or on Oct. 7, the day the high court term begins.