The Supreme Court’s biggest decisions are coming. Here’s what they could say.

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The Supreme Court is poised to render some of its most significant decisions of the term, with 10 opinions yet to be released in the coming week before the justices commence their summer recess. These final rulings encompass highly contentious matters that have occupied the court throughout this term, including affirmative action, student loans, and gay rights.

Let’s delve into the remaining cases from this term, which commenced in October:

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The future of affirmative action in higher education hangs in the balance with two interconnected cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Previously, the Supreme Court sanctioned the use of affirmative action in higher education, dating back to 1978. However, the court’s decision to review these cases suggests a readiness to reevaluate those prior rulings. During the arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed reservations about the practice.

The Biden administration contends that eliminating race-conscious college admissions would have a detrimental impact, leading to a drastic decline in the enrollment of Black and Latino students at the nation’s most selective institutions.

STUDENT LOANS

The fate of President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive or reduce student loans held by millions of Americans also lies in the hands of the justices. When the case was argued in February, the plan seemed unlikely to survive, though there remains a possibility that the challengers lack the legal standing to sue and the plan could proceed.

Biden proposed wiping out $10,000 in federal student loan debt for individuals earning less than $125,000 per year or households with incomes below $250,000. Additionally, he sought to cancel an extra $10,000 for those who received federal Pell Grants for college education. The administration estimates that millions of borrowers would benefit from this program.

Irrespective of the Supreme Court’s ruling, loan repayments, which have been suspended since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago, will resume this summer.

GAY RIGHTS

A clash between gay rights and religious rights awaits resolution by the court. The case involves a Christian graphic artist from Colorado who wishes to specialize in designing wedding websites but refuses to create websites for same-sex couples.

State law mandates that businesses open to the public must provide services to all customers. However, the designer, Lorie Smith, argues that this law violates her freedom of speech. She contends that ruling against her would compel artists across various mediums, such as painters, photographers, writers, and musicians, to create work contrary to their beliefs. On the other hand, opponents argue that a victory for Smith would open the door for businesses to discriminate against Black, Jewish, or Muslim customers, interracial or interfaith couples, and immigrants.

The court’s conservative majority seemed sympathetic to Smith’s arguments during the December arguments, and in recent years, religious plaintiffs have secured several victories at the Supreme Court.

RELIGIOUS RIGHTS

Another case with potential implications for religious rights involves a Christian mail carrier who refused to work on Sundays when tasked with delivering Amazon packages.

The issue before the court revolves around the extent to which businesses must accommodate religious employees. This case is somewhat unique in that both sides agree on certain points. During the April arguments, both liberal and conservative justices seemed to broadly concur that entities like the Postal Service cannot cite minor costs or hardships to deny requests for religious accommodations. This could result in a ruling with support from justices on both sides of the ideological spectrum.

However, it remains uncertain how the justices will decide the specific circumstances of this worker’s case.

VOTING

As the election season gains momentum, the Supreme Court has yet to indicate its stance on a case concerning the power of state legislatures to establish rules for congressional and presidential elections without being subject to review by state courts.

In a North Carolina case, the court was asked to essentially curtail state courts’ authority to invalidate congressional districts drawn by legislatures on the grounds of violating state constitutions.

However, there’s a complication. Since the justices heard the case in December, North Carolina’s state Supreme Court invalidated the ruling under review by the Supreme Court, following claims from Republicans of gaining control over the state court. This could provide an opportunity for the justices to dismiss the case without rendering a decision.

Nonetheless, the high court might still consider a similar case from Ohio and issue a ruling after the 2024 elections.

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More about Supreme Court decisions

• Supreme Court of the United States
• Affirmative Action in Higher Education
• President Biden’s Student Loan Plan
• Gay Rights and Religious Rights
• Religious Accommodations in the Workplace
• Voting Rules and State Legislatures