With the U.S. Supreme Court beginning its October Term 2022 in the coming week, we conduct our 38th annual review of the performance of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the Supreme Court during the past term.

The Supreme Court’s October Term 2021 was one of the most consequential terms in American history. The Court issued major decisions overturning Roe v. Wade; expanding the Second Amendment right to carry firearms; halting some of the federal government’s efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic; and invalidating some of the EPA’s most sweeping efforts to combat climate change. Those decisions took place under the ascendancy of a 6-3 majority held by the Court’s Republican-appointed Justices. Notably, nearly 30% of the Court’s merits decisions were divided along ideological lines, and the percentage of unanimous decisions declined to a two-decade low. Stat Pack for the Supreme Court’s 2021-22 Term, SCOTUSblog 3 (July 1, 2022).