The Supreme Court Term

The early Supreme Court met for two short sessions a year, in February and August, and Justices spent much of their time riding circuit. Over the nineteenth century Congress changed the schedule several times, and since 1917 federal law has set the start of each term on the first Monday in October, a date lawyers simply call First Monday. Each term is named for the year in which it begins, so October Term 2025 began on October 6, 2025, and continues until the Court recesses the following summer.

The term alternates between sittings, usually two weeks of oral argument and conferences, and recesses of several weeks in which the Justices study cases and write opinions. Before the term opens, the Justices hold a long conference in late September to act on petitions that piled up over the summer. Arguments run through April, and decisions come out through the spring, with the most closely watched opinions usually released in the final weeks of June. The Court then recesses for the summer, though Justices continue to act on emergency applications and petitions year-round.

The Court now decides about 60 argued cases a term, far fewer than in past decades, and end-of-term releases often produce major rulings in quick succession, such as the decisions on presidential immunity and agency deference at the end of June 2024 and on nationwide injunctions in June 2025. The emergency docket, which operates outside the regular calendar, has grown sharply since 2025 with applications from the federal government. Supporters say the term's rhythm allows careful deliberation, while critics say the end-of-June crush and growing emergency docket strain that ideal.