The Shadow Docket
How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic
Basic Books · Print & ebook · May 21, 2024
An instant New York Times bestseller: An acclaimed legal scholar’s “important” (New York Times) and “fascinating” (Economist) exposé of how the Supreme Court uses unsigned and unexplained orders to change the law behind closed doors.
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- Who it’s for
- A close look at how unexplained emergency rulings have reshaped the Supreme Court’s work.
- Themes
- Supreme Court, American democracy, Legal transparency
- Pacing
- Steady
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Start with this bookAbout this book
An instant New York Times bestseller: An acclaimed legal scholar’s “important” (New York Times) and “fascinating” (Economist) exposé of how the Supreme Court uses unsigned and unexplained orders to change the law behind closed doors. The Supreme Court has always had the authority to issue emergency rulings in exceptional circumstances.
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But since 2017, the Court has dramatically expanded its use of the behind-the-scenes “shadow docket,” regularly making decisions that affect millions of Americans without public hearings and without explanation, through cryptic late-night rulings that leave lawyers—and citizens—scrambling. The Court’s conservative majority has used the shadow docket to green-light restrictive voting laws and bans on abortion, and to curtail immigration and COVID vaccine mandates. But Americans of all political stripes should be worried about what the shadow docket portends for the rule of law, argues Supreme Court expert Stephen Vladeck. In this rigorous yet accessible book, he issues an urgent call to bring the Court back into the light. Updated with a new preface, The Shadow Docket is an essential read for understanding the inner workings of the Supreme Court—and American democracy.
Unsigned Court Orders
A close look at how unexplained emergency rulings have reshaped the Supreme Court’s work.
Come here for
- The Court’s expanded use of emergency rulings since 2017
- How unsigned orders can change law without public hearings or explanations
Expect
- Discussion of rulings on voting laws and abortion bans
- Coverage of immigration restrictions and COVID vaccine mandates
Where it sits
| Courts & the Judiciary | 58% |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | 55% |
| Judicial Power & Courts | 35% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Courts & Judicial System
- Judicial Power & Courts
- Courts & the Judiciary
- Authors
- Stephen Vladeck
- Publisher
- Basic Books
- Published
- May 21, 2024
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Supreme Court · American democracy · Legal transparency
- Reading lane
- Courts & Judicial System