One First | Steve Vladeck | Substack

A weekly newsletter aiming to make the Supreme Court’s rulings, procedures, and history more accessible to all. Click to read One First, a Substack publication with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

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One First | Steve Vladeck | Substack · Sep 14, 2026

LEGAL SYSTEM AND JUSTICE

249. The Language of Supreme Court Stays

Thursday’s Missouri redistricting ruling used boilerplate to freeze the district court’s TRO. That didn’t prevent confusion over what the Court had “stayed.”

CALIFORNIANEW YORKLEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

One First | Steve Vladeck | Substack · Sep 10, 2026

LEGAL SYSTEM AND JUSTICE

Bonus 248: Missouri’s Midterms Mess

The Supreme Court can and should put an end to the mess over which map Missouri must use in November's elections. But it’s a mess of the justices’ own making.

MISSOURIWASHINGTONMARTY LEDERMAN

One First | Steve Vladeck | Substack · Aug 13, 2026

LEGAL SYSTEM AND JUSTICE

Bonus 243: A Vacation-Inspired "Top Ten" List

Have you ever wondered which of this newsletter's posts have been the most widely read? Even if not, here's a list of the top ten (plus an honorable mention).

VENEZUELALOS ANGELESSUPREME COURT

One First | Steve Vladeck | Substack · Aug 06, 2026

LEGAL SYSTEM AND JUSTICE

Bonus 242: How Quickly They Forget...

Every procedural complaint about today's judges describes something that was worse during the Biden administration—when the critics said nothing and when the government obeyed.

SOMALIA

One First | Steve Vladeck | Substack · Jul 27, 2026

LEGAL SYSTEM AND JUSTICE

240. The Rise and Fall of the Alien Tort Statute

The Court's June 23 ruling in Cisco was significant not only for what it means for human rights accountability, but for the justices' approach to stare decisis.

GEORGIAUNITED STATESCISCO SYSTEMS INC