Showing definitions for shadow docket

shadow docket

American

[shad-oh dok-it] / ˈʃæd oʊ ˌdɒk ɪt /

noun

a list of the cases resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court by unsigned procedural orders issued without full briefing, oral arguments, or lengthy written opinions.

Etymology

Origin of shadow docket

Coined by U.S. legal scholar and University of Chicago law professor William P. Baude (born 1950) in 2015

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This latest term came to be defined by the merits docket, the shadow docket, and the justices’ public grievances.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026

It leads to this interplay between the shadow docket and the merits docket.

From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026

That deadline was missed by about 30 minutes, prompting many news outlets to prematurely report that the court allowed a ban to take effect via a shadow docket.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

Since shadow docket rulings are unsigned, we can’t know for certain the usual tally of supporting and opposing justices.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

And the shadow docket, as we know it today, was born.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023