T HE SUPREME COURT decided just 55 fully argued or “merits” cases in the term that ended on June 27th—the lowest total since the civil war, except for the covid-curtailed term of 2020. Yet the justices have been busier than ever.

The Supreme Court term that ended Friday will not be remembered for blockbuster rulings like those recent years that struck down the right to abortion and college affirmative action. The justices scaled back their docket this year and spent much of their energy focused on deciding fast-track appeals from President Trump.

A recent Supreme Court ruling could allow President Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship to go into effect in some states. Abbie VanSickle, a reporter covering the United States Supreme Court for The New York Times,