The Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket
From Civics In A Year by The Center for American Civics
June 4, 2026 · 26 min · Season 1 · Episode 227
About this episode
The episode discusses the Supreme Court's shadow docket and its implications for public understanding of constitutional rulings.
The Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” sounds like a secret back hallway of law and that’s exactly why it triggers so much public suspicion. We sit down with Spencer Burrows, an 11th grade dean, AP US Government teacher, and civic engagement coordinator, to translate what the Court is actually doing when it issues emergency orders and why so many people mistake those orders for final constitutional rulings. We walk through the crucial difference between cases decided on the merits (full b...
People in this episode
Guest: Spencer Burrows
Topics covered
- Supreme Court
- shadow docket
- emergency orders
- constitutional rulings
- civic engagement
Keywords
- Supreme Court
- shadow docket
- emergency orders
- constitutional law
- civic engagement
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Center for American Civics
Books & works: The Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket
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