Case status

Reading a US Supreme Court docket

Q: How many cases does the Supreme Court hear?

73 cases were argued in the October Term 2024. The Court's undated FAQ gives about 80.

Last checked 7 November 2026 · 7 sources

Short answer

Most cases at the US Supreme Court involve review of a decision of another court ¹. A petition for a writ of certiorari seeking that review is due within 90 days after entry of the judgment ⁴. The Clerk then distributes it to the Justices for a conference ⁵. If review is granted, the case is set for briefing and oral argument ⁶. In the October Term 2024, 3,856 cases were filed, 73 were argued and 64 were disposed of in 56 signed opinions ³.

Term start: First Monday in October, by statute ¹
Petition deadline: 90 days after entry of the lower court judgment ⁴
Extension: Up to 60 days, for good cause, by a Justice ⁴
Filings, October Term 2024: 3,856, down from 4,223 in the 2023 Term ³
Argued, October Term 2024: 73 cases, 64 disposed of in 56 signed opinions ³
Mandate, state court cases: Issues 25 days after entry of judgment ⁷

How a case moves through the docket

Petition filed: due within 90 days after entry of the judgment of a state court of last resort or a US court of appeals ⁴. Time runs from entry of the judgment, not from the issue of the mandate ⁴.
Response: the other side may file a brief in opposition or waive it ⁵. No motion to dismiss a petition may be filed ⁵.
Distributed: the Clerk sends the papers to the Court on a waiver, at the end of the response period, or no less than 14 days after a brief in opposition is filed ⁵.
Conference: on Fridays during and before argument weeks, the Justices meet privately and vote on petitions for review ¹.
Order: the Court grants or denies review, or may enter a summary disposition on the merits ⁶.
Argument and opinion: a granted case is scheduled for briefing and oral argument ⁶.

Granted, denied and summary disposition

If the Court grants a petition, the Clerk enters an order and notifies counsel and the lower court, and the case is scheduled for briefing and oral argument ⁶. If it denies the petition, the Clerk enters an order of denial and notifies counsel and the lower court ⁶. The order of denial is not suspended pending disposition of a petition for rehearing ⁶.

The Court can dispose of a case without argument. Rule 16 says the order may be a summary disposition on the merits ⁶. So the label on the docket matters more than the fact that an order exists.

Order lists and the court calendar

On Monday mornings during sittings, the Court releases an Order List, a public report of its actions including the acceptance and rejection of cases ¹. Each week the Justices evaluate about 130 petitions seeking review ¹. Sittings and recesses alternate at about two-week intervals, and oral arguments usually end in April ¹.

With rare exceptions, each side gets 30 minutes to argue ¹. A quorum of six Justices is required to decide a case ².

Caseload figures and a conflict between sources

The Chief Justice's 2025 Year-End Report gives the figures for the October Term 2024 ³. Those figures cover activity from the docketing of the first case with the 24- prefix on 3 July 2024 to the release of opinions on 30 June 2025 ³.

The Court's general FAQ page states that it receives about 7,000 to 8,000 petitions each Term and hears argument in about 80 cases ². That page is undated, and the Year-End Report shows lower filings and arguments for the 2023 and 2024 Terms ³. Both are shown here.

Measure	2023 Term	2024 Term
All cases filed	4,223 ³	3,856 ³
In forma pauperis docket	2,847 ³	2,527 ³
Paid docket	1,376 ³	1,329 ³
Cases argued	69 ³	73 ³
Disposed of after argument	64 ³	64 ³
Signed opinions	55 ³	56 ³

When the decision reaches the lower court

In a case from a state court, the mandate issues 25 days after entry of the judgment ⁷. The Court or a Justice can shorten or extend that time, and the parties can agree that it issues sooner ⁷. A petition for rehearing stays the mandate until it is decided, and if it is denied the mandate issues forthwith ⁷. In a case from a federal court, a formal mandate issues only when specially directed. Instead the Clerk sends the lower court a copy of the opinion and a certified copy of the judgment ⁷.

Common questions

How long do I have to file a cert petition?

90 days after entry of the judgment, and a Justice may extend that by up to 60 days for good cause ⁴.

What does distributed for conference mean?

The Clerk has sent the petition and any responses to the Justices for their consideration ⁵. The Justices vote on petitions at private conferences ¹.

Does cert denied mean the Court agreed with the lower court?

It means review was refused. The Clerk enters an order of denial and notifies the lower court ⁶.

How many cases does the Supreme Court hear?

73 cases were argued in the October Term 2024 ³. The Court's undated FAQ gives about 80 ².

When does a Supreme Court judgment take effect in a state case?

The mandate issues 25 days after entry of the judgment, subject to changes and rehearing petitions ⁷.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@statusofrecord.com.

Sources

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