Bloomberg Law
May 8, 2018, 3:12 PM UTC

Justices’ Personalities Shine Through in Opinions About Orders

Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson

• Justices occasionally write to explain why they think court should hear particular rejected issue • Vary widely in use of “opinions related to orders” depending on personality, agenda

The U.S. Supreme Court’s “opinions related to orders” get less attention than their merits opinions, but they give courtwatchers clues about the justices who write them.

Merits opinionsset a binding rule for the entire country to follow.Opinions related to orders—ORTOs—are often the thoughts of one justice on a case the court has decided not to take up.

The justices vary quite a bit in how often they write ...

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