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]

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

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

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

External links

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.

[1] This is not the same as the Supreme Court's year-long Term which runs from October to the following September.

[5] Published through June 2023.

[Starr-2] 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-3] 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.

[4] "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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