From his first argument on the Supreme Court last year, Justice Neil Gorsuch established himself as an active questioner, flouting the traditional break-in period to the reported consternation of some colleagues.

By the count of at least one prominent appellate lawyer, Walter Dellinger of O’Melveny & Myers, Gorsuch peppered attorneys with 45 questions that day in April 2017. So it was with some surprise how Gorsuch participated in Monday’s argument in the latest challenge to fair-share union fees: He did not ask a single question.