The Supreme Court's 2025-26 term saw a continuation and intensification of several trends that have been reshaping the court over recent years, particularly in areas such as stare decisis (the principle of adhering to past rulings), textualism and deference to administrative agencies, and justiciability issues like standing and mootness. These shifts reflect broader ideological realignments within the Court, with conservative justices increasingly favoring judicial restraint through doctrines like the major questions doctrine while liberals often argue for a more expansive interpretation of statutory text.
Stare Decisis
The term continued a pattern where liberal justices, particularly Justice Sonia Sotomayor, emphasized the importance of adhering to precedent. In Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe I, Sotomayor's dissent lamented the Court’s declining respect for stare decisis, a sentiment she echoed from previous terms. Similarly, in Trump v. Slaughter, conservative justices were criticized by liberals for disregarding this principle.
Textualism and Deference
In cases like Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump (the tariffs case), the Court grappled with the major questions doctrine, which limits executive power when it comes to interpreting
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