Can President Trump 'pack' the federal court system? Judge Neil Gorsuch is likely to be confirmed to the US Supreme Court, and there may be other vacancies in the next four years. In addition, 124 judicial benches are open in federal appellate and district courts all over the country, and more retirements are inevitable. As long as Republicans dominate the Senate, there's a real chance that Mr. Trump could push the system to the Right for generations. That's been the goal of so-called "dark money" spent by shadowy billionaires to make American institutions more to their liking.

Will the US Supreme Court Shift into Neutral? Blockbuster decisions expected this year could end up instead with opinions divided between four conservatives and four liberals. Since Congress hasn't replaced the late Antonin Scalia, majorities have already been hard to come by, and some predict deadlock for as much as another year, although a decision that came down today may be an exception to what's on the agenda between now and next Monday. We hear about the possible options for race-based college admissions , deportation of undocumented immigrants and unwanted pregnancies .

North Carolina’s Election Law Tests Voting Rights in a New Era In a federal court in North Carolina, arguments are wrapping up in a case with potential significance for the voting rights of minorities and young people. Two years ago, the US Supreme Court freed mainly Southern states from having to get federal approval before changing their voting laws. Photo: David Sachs/SEIU North Carolina Republicans immediately passed limits on some voting procedures. The NAACP and the ACLU are among those suing to restore federal oversight under the Voting Rights Act — and they’re joined by the Obama Administration. Robert Barnes is Supreme Court reporter for the Washington Post .

The Cases that Could Settle Gay Marriage at the Supreme Court When the US Supreme Court declined to hear same-sex marriage cases earlier this year, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said there was no rush — because there was no disagreement among the lower courts. Now there is. In Cincinnati yesterday, the 6 th federal Circuit Court of Appeals upheld bans on same-sex marriage in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky. Robert Barnes covers the Supreme Court for the Washington Post .

Supreme Court Upholds Michigan's Ban on Affirmative Action By a vote of six to two, the US Supreme Court today upheld the voters of Michigan, who banned the use of race as a factor in admission to public colleges and universities. In dissent, read aloud from the bench, Justice Sonya Sotomayor said her colleagues, "ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society." Bob Barnes covers the court for the Washington Post .

Another Split Decision, Another Political Firestorm The President says he is "deeply disappointed" with today's decision by a divided US Supreme Court, this time over the voting rights of blacks and other minority citizens. Writing for a 5-to-4 majority of the court, Chief Justice John Roberts declared that Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act -- a major achievement of the civil rights movement -- is out of date and therefore, unconstitutional. Roberts said federal guidelines for oversight of minority voting don't reflect present reality. Nine mostly Southern states and parts of others will no longer have to ask Washington to approve changes in their voting laws. Is voting discrimination against blacks and other minorities a thing of the past?  We hear the dispute that's already raging.

Health Care Reform Will Go to the Supreme Court President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act has received mixed reviews from appellate courts, and the US Supreme Court has agreed to pass judgment by June of next year. That's before either Republicans or Democrats will have nominated their presidential candidates, and two individual Supreme Court justices are now the subjects of political scrutiny. What are the possible consequences for the White House, Congress and insurance coverage for tens of millions of Americans? We look at the range of potential options.

Super-Sized WalMart Class Action Case before Supreme Court Crowds began to form outside the US Supreme Court building at two this morning Washington time, in hopes of getting into the courtroom for arguments about the rules for class-action lawsuits. The issue involves as many as one million women who have worked for America's largest retailer. A federal appeals court has ruled that WalMart's female employees can sue as a class, and that's the issue the Supreme Court has agreed to decide. Robert Barnes covers the court for the Washington Post .