The Roberts court has long been characterized as a “probusiness” court, given the ostensible orientation of the court’s Republican-appointed majority and assumptions that President Trump’s appointments have magnified that orientation. But there are reasons to question this characterization. Quantitative analyses often fail to account for the relative importance of individual decisions, the broader legal context in which the court’s decisions are made, or the ways in which decisions can alter or depart from preexisting legal baselines. I show that President Trump’s appointments to the court have fairly consistently voted to restrain the power of administrative agencies, but they have not consistently supported outcomes that are beneficial to business. In cases involving state laws that may fragment or burden national markets, the Roberts court may actually be less sympathetic to business interests than it was prior to Trump’s appointments.
AdelmanLynn. 2019. The Roberts court’s assault on democracy. Harvard Law & Policy Review14(1): 131–158.
2.
AdlerJonathan H.2011. Heat expands all things: The proliferation of greenhouse gas regulation under the Obama administration. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy34(2): 421–452.
3.
AdlerJonathan H., ed. 2016. Business and the Roberts court. Oxford University Press.
4.
AdlerJonathan H.2017. Introduction: Still in search of the pro-business court. Case Western Reserve Law Review67(3): 681–692.
5.
AdlerJonathan H.2020. Conservative minimalism and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. University of Chicago Law Review Online2020: 28–36.
6.
AdlerJonathan H.2021a. The legal and administrative risks of climate regulation. Environmental Law Reporter51(6): 10485–10496.
7.
AdlerJonathan H.2021b. West Virginia v. EPA: Some answers about major questions. Cato Supreme Court Review21: 37–68.
8.
AdlerJonathan H.WalkerChristopher J.2020. Delegation and time. Iowa Law Review105(5): 1931–1994.
9.
Alabama Association of Realtors v. Department of Health & Human Services. 2021. 594 U.S. 758.
10.
American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut. 2011. 564 U.S. 410.
11.
Apple Inc. v. Pepper. 2019. 587 U.S. 273.
12.
Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian. 2020. 590 U.S. 1.
13.
Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia. 2020. 590 U.S. 644.
14.
BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. 2021. 593 U.S. 230.
15.
CameronCharles M.KastellecJonathan P.2024. The Supreme Court: How did we get here? And what comes next?The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science713:35–56.
16.
Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid. 2021. 594 U.S. 139.
17.
ChemerinskyErwin. 2008. The Roberts court at age three. Wayne Law Review54(3): 947–982.
18.
Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council. 1984. 467 U.S. 837.
19.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, Limited2024. 601 U.S. 416.
20.
CoplandJames R.2017. What do we mean by a “pro-business” court—And should we care?Case Western Reserve Law Review67(3): 743–774.
21.
Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. 2024. 144 S. Ct. 2440.
22.
EpsteinLeeGulatiMitu. 2022. A century of business in the Supreme Court, 1920–2020. Minnesota Law Review Headnotes107: 49–74.
23.
EpsteinLeeJacobiTonja. 2008. Super medians. Stanford Law Review61(1): 37–100.
24.
EpsteinLeeLandesWilliam M.PosnerRichard A.2013. How business fares in the Supreme Court. Minnesota Law Review97(4): 1431–1473.
25.
EpsteinLeeLandesWilliam M.PosnerRichard A.2017. When it comes to business, the right and left sides of the court agree. Washington University Journal of Law and Policy54(1): 33–55.
26.
Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court. 2021. 592 U.S. 351.
27.
FreemanJodySpenceDavid B.2014. Old statutes, new problems. University of Pennsylvania Law Review163(1): 1–93.
28.
GorodBrianne J.2017. The first decade of the Roberts court: Good for business interests, bad for legal accountability. Case Western Reserve Law Review67(3): 721–742.
29.
GreveMichael S.KlickJonathanPetrinoMichaelSevillaJ. P.2015. Preemption in the Rehnquist and Roberts courts: An empirical analysis. Supreme Court Economic Review23: 353–392.
30.
Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. 2024. 144 S. Ct. 2071.
31.
HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association. 2021. 594 U.S. 382.
32.
LazarusRichard J.2020. The rule of five: Making climate history at the Supreme Court. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
33.
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. 2024. 144 S. Ct. 2244.
34.
Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co. 2023. 600 U.S. 122.
35.
Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency. 2007. 549 U.S. 497.
36.
MetzgerGillian E.2024. The Roberts court and executive power. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science713:88–106.
37.
Moore v. United States. 2024. 144 S. Ct. 1680.
38.
National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 2022. 595 U.S. 109.
39.
National Pork Producers Council v. Ross. 2023. 598 U.S. 356.
40.
Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency. 2024. 144 S. Ct. 2040.
41.
PollmanElizabeth. 2021. The Supreme Court and the pro-business paradox. Harvard Law Review135(1): 220–266.
42.
RobertsonCassandra BurkeRhodesCharles W.2017. The business of personal jurisdiction. Case Western Reserve Law Review67(3): 775–804.
43.
RosenJeffrey. 16March2008. Supreme Court, Inc. New York Times Magazine. Available from www.nytimes.com.
44.
Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. 2023. 598 U.S. 651.
45.
SavageDavid G. 28June2024. In big win for business, Supreme Court dramatically limits rulemaking power of federal agencies. Los Angeles Times.
46.
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy. 2024. 144 S. Ct. 2117.
47.
Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 2020. 591 U.S. 197.
48.
Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2023. 600 U.S. 181.
49.
TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez. 2021. 594 U.S. 413.
50.
TushnetMark. 2013. In the balance: Law and politics on the Roberts court. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
51.
Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency. 2014. 573 U.S. 302.
52.
Virginia Uranium, Inc. v. Warren. 2019. 587 U.S. 761.
53.
West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. 2022. 597 U.S. 697.
