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Number of U.S. Supreme Court cases decided by year

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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

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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]

Number of U.S. Supreme Court cases decided by calendar year

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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 77 592, 593, 594, 595
2022 47 596, 597
2023 58[b] 598, 599, 600
Total 30,863

Notes

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  1. ^ This is not the same as the Supreme Court's year-long Term which runs from October to the following September.
  2. ^ Published through June 2023.

See also

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Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume

Lists of United States Supreme Court cases

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Wikisource has original text related to this article:

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "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.
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