The U.S. Supreme Court will begin its new term on Monday, October 5, 2026, and the first case on the docket is a major one concerning climate change. The term's opening slate also includes cases involving guns and religious rights, according to NPR Topics: National.
The climate change case leads off a term that is expected to carry significant consequences for federal regulatory authority, Second Amendment jurisprudence, and the scope of religious liberty protections. Each of the three issue areas has produced closely watched rulings in recent years, and the new term signals that the court will continue to engage with some of the most contested legal questions in the country.
The term formally opens on Monday, October 5, 2026, one day after the court's traditional summer recess concludes. Court watchers and legal observers will be tracking the climate case in particular, given its potential reach into environmental regulation and the separation of powers.
The court's decisions in these matters will unfold over the coming months, with opinions typically issued through the late spring and early summer. For now, the October 5 start date marks the beginning of a term that will test the court's approach to three of the most polarizing areas of American law.
