John G. Roberts Jr.

Rule Changes

Joined Alito majority in Callais despite having authored Allen v. Milligan in 2023 upholding Section 2

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on April 29, 2026, in Louisiana v. Callais. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the main federal tool minority voters have used for four decades to challenge racially discriminatory maps, now requires plaintiffs to prove intentional discrimination before courts can order a remedy.

Updated May 31

Rule Changes

Authored the majority opinion in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump

The U.S. government has never had to give back $166 billion it collected illegally — until now. On April 20, CBP launched the CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries) portal for importers to reclaim tariff payments the Supreme Court ruled unlawful. The first phase covers $127 billion across more than 56,000 registered importers.

Updated May 31

Rule Changes

Authored majority opinion striking down IEEPA tariffs

For thirteen months, the Trump administration imposed tariffs using emergency powers no president had claimed for that purpose. On February 20, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that those tariffs were illegal.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

Joined the majority

Terry Pitchford has sat on Mississippi's death row for nearly two decades. On May 28, 2026, the Supreme Court threw out his conviction and ordered the state to start over, ruling 5-4 that the prosecutor's jury selection violated his constitutional rights.

Updated May 28

Rule Changes

Representing IAM National Pension Fund trustees

When employers exit multiemployer pension plans, they owe a share of unfunded benefits—a calculation that hinges on assumptions about future investment returns. The IAM National Pension Fund changed its interest rate assumption from 7.5% to 6.5% in January 2018, weeks after the measurement date, and applied it retroactively to employers who had already withdrawn. The result: withdrawal liabilities tripled from $935 million to over $3 billion.

Updated May 22

Rule Changes

Presiding over Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish

A Louisiana jury ordered Chevron to pay $745 million in April 2025 for wrecking coastal wetlands through decades of oil drilling. Now the Supreme Court will decide if that verdict stands.

Updated May 20

Rule Changes

Authored 5-4 majority opinion upholding travel ban in Trump v. Hawaii

Trump signed his first travel ban seven days into his presidency, blocking entry from seven Muslim-majority countries and igniting protests; courts blocked it within a week. After Supreme Court victories, a Biden reversal, and his return to power, Trump's December 2025 expansion restricts entry from 39 countries—affecting one in eight people worldwide and eliminating exemptions for immediate family.

Updated May 16

Rule Changes

Previously granted an administrative stay; court later vacated it

Immigration judges say the Justice Department has effectively muzzled them: speak publicly about immigration and you need permission, and what you say can be steered into "agency talking points." The Trump administration's response has been procedural. You don't get federal court—go through the civil-service machinery first.

Updated May 15

Rule Changes

Presiding over and often shaping the Court’s incremental expansion of presidential removal power

In 2025, President Donald Trump challenged the 1935 Humphrey's Executor precedent by firing and removing independent agency officials before their terms expired.

Updated May 10