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Very Few February Sketches

by | Mar 15, 2021 | Arguments, Supreme Court

Other than the Arizona voting case it was a pretty quiet calendar for the SCOTUS February sitting. This month will be pretty much the same, but April looks to pick up the pace. And I’m getting fat and lazy.

Neal K. Katyal for respondent

David J. Zimmer for respondent

Jeffrey Fisher, with law students, arguing for petitioner

Samuel T. Harbourt, California Deputy Solicitor General

Amanda K. Rice, Court-appointed amicus in support of judgement below

Mark A. Perry arguing for Smith & Nephew, Inc. in Arthrex

Jessica R. Amunson for repondent Secretary Hobbs

Sarah M. Harris for petitioners

 

January SCOTUS Sketches – A Little Late

by | Feb 28, 2021 | Arguments, Supreme Court

Fencing surrounds SCOTUS following mob attack on capitol.

January was a little crazy here in DC so maybe I’ll be forgiven for forgetting to post these sketches in a timely manner. Fewer cases than usual were on the calendar, and arguments continued to be heard remotely by telephone.

Paul W. Hughes for respondents

Andrew A. Pinson for respondents

Kristen K. Waggoner for petitioners

Joel R. Marcus arguing for FTC

Kannon K. Shanmugam for petitioners

Victor M. Sher for respondents

December SCOTUS Sketches

by | Dec 20, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

I’ve imagined cobwebs on the bench. Maybe sheets have been thrown over the Justices’ chairs to protect them from dust like in an old horror movie.

Darkness was everywhere, it smelled like a tomb
I was ready to leave, I was already walkin’
But the next time I looked, there was light in the 

We look forward to that day, probably the first Monday in October, when we are back in the courtroom. Meanwhile, the 2020 term goes on with lawyers making their arguments by telephone from dining room tables and law offices.

Cameron T. Norris for petitioner

Neal K. Katyal for petitioners

André Bélanger for petitioner

Elizabeth Murrill, Louisiana Solicitor General, for repondent.

Jonathan M. Freiman for petitioners

Sarah E. Harrington for respondents

Greg Silbert for petitioners

Nicholas M. O’Donnell for respondents

Professor Bryan Garner for respondents

Kannon Shanmugam for petitioner

Daniel L. Geyser for respondent

Aaron L. Nielson, Court-appointed amicus

Sketches From the November Session

by | Nov 12, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

With one third of the Supreme Court now comprised of Trump appointed justices there was fear that last Tuesday’s election might end up being decided by the justices. That now seems unlikely given the margins, much to the relief of the Court I imagine.

The Justices continue to hear arguments by telephone conference, though probably not on the receivers pictured above. Below are sketches done from photos arguing counsel were kind enough to send me.

Sarah M. Harris for petitioner

Sanjay Narayan for respondent

David M. Shapiro for petitioner

Mississippi Deputy Solicitor General Krissy C. Nobile

Kannon Shanmugam for petitioner

Neal Katyal for repondents

Lori Windham, with co-counsel Mark Rienzi, for petitioner

David Zimmer for petitioner

Patrick M. Jaicomo for respondent

Texas Solictor General Kyle D. Hawkins

California Solicitor General Michael J. Mongan

 

October “Sitting” Sketches

by | Nov 1, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

No justices were actually sitting in the courtroom on the first Monday of the October 2020 term, nor where any lawyers or the public. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced all of us to adapt to new conditions of social distancing. For the Supreme Court that has meant hearing arguments by conference call, with the bonus that the audio is live-streamed to the public. For me, while it’s great to listen to the arguments from the comfort of my studio, there’s not much to draw. At least there wasn’t until arguing counsel started sending me photos of their kitchen-table set-ups ( not really, at least not yet. But I’m hoping for a kitchen setting ). I’m enjoying the change after forty years of lawyers in suits arguing from the lectern.

From CUNY Law School, Ramzi Kassem argues for respondents

Deepak Gupta for respondent

Sean Marotta for petitioner

Stephen I. Vladeck for respondents

Kelsi B. Corkran for petitioner

Mark D. Standridge for respondents

Texas Solicitor General Kyle D. Hawkins

Nicholas J. Bronni, Arkansas Solicitor General petitioner

Craig Goldblatt for petitioner

Brian P. Goldman for petitioner

 

 

SCOTUS Abortion and CFPB

by | Mar 5, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

Demonstrators on both sides of the abortion issue gathered outside the Supreme Court for yesterday’s argument in June Medical Services. The Center for Reproductive Rights distributed the teal colored knit caps shown in the banner sketch above. Below is a bird’s-eye ( drone’s-eye? ) view of the courtroom with virtually every seat filled for the argument. Actually, more seats were added in the aisles of the public section, and I should have added them.

On Tuesday, in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB, the Court heard argument on the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Board and whether the director of the board can be removed by the president “at will” or only “for cause”.

Also on Tuesday, the Court heard Liu v. SEC, for which I stuck around for one sketch.