The U.S. Supreme Court opened its 2026–27 term on October 5, 2026, hearing six cases in its first sitting. Decisions are expected by the end of June 2027.
The most closely watched case is Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, in which a Colorado county seeks damages from oil companies under state law for flooding, wildfires and droughts it attributes to climate change. The Court must decide whether federal law bars this kind of state-law suit and whether it can review the case at this early stage. The justices appeared divided at argument, and the outcome may affect dozens of similar suits across the country.
Other cases on the docket deal with the Video Privacy Protection Act and the use of tracking pixels on websites (Salazar v. Paramount Global), with the standard for challenging investment choices in 401(k) retirement plans (Anderson v. Intel) and with the weight of Sentencing Commission commentary in federal sentencing (Beaird v. United States).
On October 19, the Court also agreed to hear Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board of Education, on admissions to magnet school programs, and Department of Justice v. McNutt, on the federal ban on home distilling of spirits. These decisions are expected to shape U.S. litigation in privacy, corporate liability and retirement plans in the coming years.
Supreme Court of the United States, October Term 2026. Sources: No Labels and Dorsey & Whitney.