Number of U.S. Supreme Court cases decided by year
This is a list of the number of United States Supreme Court decisions issued by calendar year[a] as published in the official United States Reports. The third column below lists which of the volumes of the Reports include cases for each calendar year.
Change from taking all cases to only selected cases[]
Prior to passage of the Judiciary Act of 1925 the Supreme Court reviewed almost all cases sent to it. After 1925, most cases have been subject to being granted a writ of certiorari which the Court can grant or deny without ruling on the merits. This change greatly reduced the Court's workload.[1][2] In the past decade, approximately 7,000-8,000 new cases are filed in the Supreme Court each year. Plenary review, with oral arguments by attorneys, is granted in about 80 of those cases, and the Court typically disposes of about 100 or more cases without plenary review — fewer than 3% of the total.[3]
Year | Cases Decided | United States Reports Volumes |
---|---|---|
1791 | 4 | 2 |
1792 | 3 | 2 |
1793 | 2 | 2 |
1794 | 1 | 3 |
1795 | 6 | 3 |
1796 | 16 | 3 |
1797 | 8 | 3 |
1798 | 5 | 3 |
1799 | 9 | 3, 4 |
1800 | 10 | 4 |
1801 | 5 | 5 |
1802 | 0 | — |
1803 | 19 | 5 |
1804 | 14 | 6 |
1805 | 24 | 6, 7 |
1806 | 28 | 7 |
1807 | 19 | 8 |
1808 | 32 | 8 |
1809 | 46 | 9 |
1810 | 39 | 10 |
1811 | 0 | — |
1812 | 40 | 11 |
1813 | 46 | 11 |
1814 | 48 | 12 |
1815 | 40 | 13 |
1816 | 43 | 14 |
1817 | 42 | 15 |
1818 | 38 | 16 |
1819 | 33 | 17 |
1820 | 27 | 18 |
1821 | 41 | 19 |
1822 | 31 | 20 |
1823 | 30 | 21 |
1824 | 41 | 22 |
1825 | 28 | 23, 24 |
1826 | 32 | 24 |
1827 | 47 | 25 |
1828 | 55 | 26 |
1829 | 44 | 27 |
1830 | 58 | 28, 29 |
1831 | 42 | 30 |
1832 | 56 | 31 |
1833 | 41 | 32 |
1834 | 62 | 33 |
1835 | 41 | 34 |
1836 | 52 | 35 |
1837 | 20 | 36 |
1838 | 41 | 37 |
1839 | 49 | 38 |
1840 | 43 | 39 |
1841 | 30 | 40 |
1842 | 44 | 41 |
1843 | 31 | 42 |
1844 | 46 | 43, 44 |
1845 | 55 | 44, 45 |
1846 | 42 | 45, 46 |
1847 | 35 | 46, 47 |
1848 | 33 | 47, 48 |
1849 | 43 | 48, 49 |
1850 | 89 | 49, 50, 51, 52 |
1851 | 86 | 51, 52, 53 |
1852 | 97 | 53, 54, 55, 154 |
1853 | 53 | 55, 56, 57, 154 |
1854 | 82 | 56, 57, 58 |
1855 | 69 | 58, 59 |
1856 | 94 | 59, 60 |
1857 | 58 | 60, 61 |
1858 | 75 | 61, 62, 139 |
1859 | 71 | 62, 63, 64 |
1860 | 109 | 63, 64, 65, 154 |
1861 | 68 | 65, 66 |
1862 | 74 | 66, 67, 113 |
1863 | 40 | 67, 68 |
1864 | 81 | 68, 69, 154 |
1865 | 61 | 69, 70, 72, 112, 154 |
1866 | 91 | 70, 71, 72, 154 |
1867 | 134 | 71, 72, 73, 78 |
1868 | 82 | 73, 113 |
1869 | 159 | 74, 75, 77, 78, 154 |
1870 | 154 | 76, 77, 79, 81, 154 |
1871 | 146 | 77, 78, 79, 81 |
1872 | 160 | 79, 80, 81, 83, 154 |
1873 | 243 | 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 154 |
1874 | 189 | 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 154 |
1875 | 172 | 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 154 |
1876 | 241 | 91, 92, 93, 94, 154 |
1877 | 238 | 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 154 |
1878 | 222 | 95, 96, 97, 98, 154 |
1879 | 201 | 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 113, 154 |
1880 | 229 | 100, 101, 102, 103, 113, 137, 153, 154 |
1881 | 210 | 102, 103, 104, 105, 154 |
1882 | 248 | 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 154 |
1883 | 264 | 106, 107, 108, 109, 110 |
1884 | 273 | 109, 110, 111, 112, 118 |
1885 | 271 | 112, 113, 114, 115, 116 |
1886 | 278 | 116, 117, 118, 119 |
1887 | 299 | 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125 |
1888 | 294 | 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131 |
1889 | 249 | 129, 130, 131, 132, 136 |
1890 | 280 | 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 141 |
1891 | 301 | 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 190 |
1892 | 253 | 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 149 |
1893 | 274 | 147, 148, 149, 150 |
1894 | 261 | 151, 152, 153, 154, 155 |
1895 | 272 | 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 183 |
1896 | 244 | 160, 161, 162, 163, 164 |
1897 | 213 | 164, 165, 166, 167, 168 |
1898 | 172 | 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 179 |
1899 | 195 | 172, 173, 174, 175, 176 |
1900 | 233 | 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181 |
1901 | 158 | 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 190 |
1902 | 198 | 183, 184, 185, 186, 187 |
1903 | 227 | 187, 188, 189, 190, 191 |
1904 | 207 | 192, 193, 194, 195, 196 |
1905 | 194 | 196, 197, 198, 199 |
1906 | 189 | 200, 201, 202, 203 |
1907 | 190 | 204, 205, 206, 207 |
1908 | 176 | 207, 208, 209, 210, 211 |
1909 | 181 | 211, 212, 213, 214, 215 |
1910 | 185 | 215, 216, 217, 218, 219 |
1911 | 176 | 219, 220, 221, 222 |
1912 | 230 | 222, 223, 224, 225, 226 |
1913 | 312 | 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231 |
1914 | 286 | 231, 232, 233, 234, 235 |
1915 | 288 | 235, 236, 237, 238, 239 |
1916 | 222 | 239, 240, 241, 242 |
1917 | 220 | 242, 243, 244, 245 |
1918 | 200 | 245, 246, 247, 248 |
1919 | 235 | 248, 249, 250, 251 |
1920 | 195 | 251, 252, 253, 254 |
1921 | 212 | 254, 255, 256, 257 |
1922 | 191 | 257, 258, 259, 260 |
1923 | 227 | 260, 261, 262, 263 |
1924 | 221 | 263, 264, 265, 266 |
1925 | 222 | 266, 267, 268, 269 |
1926 | 215 | 269, 270, 271, 272 |
1927 | 199 | 272, 273, 274, 275 |
1928 | 150 | 275, 276, 277, 278 |
1929 | 131 | 278, 279, 280 |
1930 | 137 | 280, 281, 282 |
1931 | 177 | 281, 282, 283, 284 |
1932 | 171 | 284, 285, 286, 287 |
1933 | 164 | 287, 288, 289, 290 |
1934 | 171 | 290, 291, 292, 293 |
1935 | 173 | 293, 294, 295, 296 |
1936 | 156 | 296, 297, 298, 299 |
1937 | 155 | 299, 300, 301, 302 |
1938 | 165 | 302, 303, 304, 305 |
1939 | 152 | 305, 306, 307, 308 |
1940 | 151 | 308, 309, 310, 311 |
1941 | 156 | 311, 312, 313, 314 |
1942 | 160 | 314, 315, 316, 317 |
1943 | 167 | 317, 318, 319, 320 |
1944 | 136 | 320, 321, 322, 323 |
1945 | 158 | 323, 324, 325, 326 |
1946 | 140 | 326, 327, 328, 329 |
1947 | 136 | 329, 330, 331, 332 |
1948 | 117 | 332, 333, 334, 335, 338 |
1949 | 131 | 335, 336, 337, 338 |
1950 | 93 | 338, 339, 340 |
1951 | 99 | 340, 341, 342 |
1952 | 107 | 342, 343, 344 |
1953 | 106 | 344, 345, 346 |
1954 | 78 | 346, 347, 348 |
1955 | 78 | 348, 349, 350 |
1956 | 97 | 350, 351, 352 |
1957 | 183 | 352, 353, 354, 355 |
1958 | 261 | 355, 356, 357, 358 |
1959 | 252 | 358, 359, 360, 361 |
1960 | 238 | 361, 362, 363, 364 |
1961 | 271 | 364, 365, 366, 367, 368 |
1962 | 248 | 368, 369, 370, 371 |
1963 | 377 | 371, 372, 373, 374, 375 |
1964 | 325 | 375, 376, 377, 378, 379 |
1965 | 279 | 379, 380, 381, 382 |
1966 | 299 | 382, 383, 384, 385 |
1967 | 370 | 385, 386, 387, 388, 389 |
1968 | 361 | 389, 390, 391, 392, 393 |
1969 | 323 | 393, 394, 395, 396 |
1970 | 248 | 396, 397, 398, 399, 400 |
1971 | 182 | 400, 401, 402, 403, 404 |
1972 | 188 | 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409 |
1973 | 194 | 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414 |
1974 | 168 | 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419 |
1975 | 163 | 419, 420, 421, 422, 423 |
1976 | 202 | 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429 |
1977 | 184 | 429, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434 |
1978 | 185 | 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439 |
1979 | 163 | 439, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444 |
1980 | 178 | 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449 |
1981 | 165 | 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454 |
1982 | 182 | 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459 |
1983 | 181 | 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464 |
1984 | 186 | 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469 |
1985 | 184 | 469, 470, 471, 472, 473, 474 |
1986 | 171 | 474, 475, 476, 477, 478, 479 |
1987 | 108 | 479, 480, 481, 482, 483, 484 |
1988 | 143 | 484, 485, 486, 487, 488 |
1989 | 154 | 488, 489, 490, 491, 492, 493 |
1990 | 144 | 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 498 |
1991 | 136 | 498, 499, 500, 501, 502 |
1992 | 118 | 502, 503, 504, 505, 506 |
1993 | 123 | 506, 507, 508, 509, 510 |
1994 | 101 | 510, 511, 512, 513 |
1995 | 99 | 513, 514, 515, 516 |
1996 | 96 | 516, 517, 518, 519 |
1997 | 99 | 519, 520, 521, 522 |
1998 | 99 | 522, 523, 524, 525 |
1999 | 94 | 525, 526, 527, 528 |
2000 | 84 | 528, 529, 530, 531 |
2001 | 90 | 531, 532, 533, 534 |
2002 | 89 | 534, 535, 536, 537 |
2003 | 84 | 537, 538, 539, 540 |
2004 | 84 | 540, 541, 542, 543 |
2005 | 85 | 543, 544, 545, 546 |
2006 | 81 | 546, 547, 548, 549 |
2007 | 75 | 549, 550, 551, 552 |
2008 | 116 | 552, 553, 554, 555, 556 |
2009 | 51 | 555, 556, 557, 558 |
2010 | 81 | 558, 559, 560, 561, 562 |
2011 | 87 | 562, 563, 564, 565 |
2012 | 79 | 565, 566, 567, 568 |
2013 | 82 | 568, 569, 570, 571 |
2014 | 73 | 571, 572, 573, 574 |
2015 | 73 | 574, 575, 576, 577 |
2016 | 81 | 577, 578, 579, 580 |
2017 | 68 | 580, 581, 582, 583 |
2018 | 72 | 583, 584, 585, 586 |
2019 | 73 | 586, 587, 588, 589 |
2020 | 68 | 589, 590, 591, 592 |
2021 | 58[b] | 592, 593, 594 |
Total | 30,739 |
Notes[]
See also[]
Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
Lists of United States Supreme Court cases
External links[]
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- Opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States at supremecourt.gov
- The Supreme Court Database, Washington University Law
- Dates of Supreme Court Decisions and Arguments, United States Reports Volumes 2 – 107 (1791 – 1882)
References[]
- ^ Starr, Kenneth W. (2006). "The Supreme Court and Its Shrinking Docket: The Ghost of William Howard Taft". Minnesota Law Review. 32: 1363–1385. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ Menell, Peter S.; Vacca, Ryan G. (2020). "Revisiting and Confronting the Federal Judiciary Capacity 'Crisis': Charting a Path for Federal Judiciary Reform". California Law Review. 108: 789–886. Retrieved September 18, 2021. Provides an extensive history of the growth of the federal judicial system and its caseload.
- ^ "The Supreme Court at Work". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved September 17, 2021. For more detail see "Chief Justice's Year-End Reports on the Federal Judiciary". Supreme Court of the United States.
- Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
- United States history-related lists