JUST IN - Alabama asks the Supreme Court to vacate a lower court order which prohibits them from drawing a new congressional map, following the ruling in Louisiana v. Callais last week. Justice Thomas has ordered a response by Monday at 5pmET.

Link- https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A1229/408451/20260508152659423_2026.05.08%20-%20Emergency%20Application%20for%20Stay%20-%20Caster%20FINAL.pdf

BREAKING - Supreme Court, in an apparent 6-3 order, allows Alabama to redraw its congressional redistricting map, vacating a lower court order barring it. Justice Sotomayor dissents, joined by Justice Kagan and Jackson.

Link - https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-243_f20h.pdf

Here is the first opinion of the day from the Supreme Court.

Case: Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC.

Authored by: Justice Barrett.

Joined by: Unanimous Court.

Holding: A claim that one company negligently hired another to transport
goods is not preempted by the FAAAA because States retain authority to regulate safety “with respect to motor vehicles” under the Act.

Dissent: N/A

Link to opinion: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1238_1b7d.pdf

Here’s the second and final case of the day from the Supreme Court.

Case: Jules v. Andre Balazs Properties.

Authored by: Justice Sotomayor

Joined by: Unanimous Court.

Holding: A federal court that has previously stayed claims in a pending action under §3 of the FAA has jurisdiction to confirm or vacate a resulting arbitral award on those claims as prescribed in §9 and §10 of the FAA; nothing in the FAA precludes the normal operation of federal jurisdiction regarding live claims pending before a federal court.

Dissent: N/A

Link to opinion: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-83_3e04.pdf

That’s all for today folks.

NEW - Supreme Court to announce one or more decisions in argued cases on Thursday May 21, at 10amET.

JUST IN - Supreme Court, in an apparent 7-2, allows mail access to mifepristone, over the public dissent of Justice Thomas and Justice Alito. Justices Thomas and Alito both filed dissenting opinions.

Dissents - https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a1207_21p3.pdf

JUST IN - Supreme Court tosses a Hail Mary bid from Virginia Democrats to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling which voided a referendum that would’ve made a 10D-1R congressional map. There were no noted dissents.

Happy Opinion Day Everyone!

Each opinion day is a day closer to summer recess, where we can, for the most part, let our guard down and take a break without worrying too much about unexpected Supreme Court cases to report on.

At 10amET, the justices will convene to release at least one or, hopefully more, opinions in argued cases this term. As always, we will be here to deliver them to you as soon as they are live on the website.

Here is the first opinion of the day from the Supreme Court.

Case - M & K Employee Solutions LLC v. Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund.

Authored by: Justice Jackson

Joined by: Unanimous Court.

Holding: The provisions of ERISA governing the calculation of withdrawal liability—§§1391 and 1393—do not require the actuarial assumptions underlying that calculation to be selected on or before the measurement date.

Dissent: N/A

Link to opinion: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/23-1209_i3kn.pdf

Here is the second case of the day from the Supreme Court.

Case: Havana Docks Corp. v. Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Authored by: Justice Thomas

Joined by: Chief Justice Roberts, Justices Alito, Sotomayor, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson.

Holding: The cruise lines’ use of the docks is sufficient to establish that they used “property which was confiscated by the Cuban Government”; Havana Docks is not required to establish that the cruise lines trafficked in Havana Dock’s property interest.

Dissent: Justice Kagan.

Link to opinion: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-983_c07d.pdf

Hamm v. Smith is dismissed as improvidently granted. Justice Sotomayor, with whom Justice Jackson joined, concurred in the dismissal. Justice Thomas dissented. Justice Alito also dissented, join by Justice Thomas and Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Gorsuch in part.

Link - https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-872_ec8f.pdf

That’s all for today folks.

JUST IN - Supreme Court to release one or more opinions in argued cases on Thursday May 28, at 10amET.