Robin A. Taboni

A Database of the United States Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket, 1993–2025


Robin A. Taboni and Jonathan Kastellec

Publication Year 2026

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Type Journal Article
Abstract The last decade has witnessed a significant increase in academic and journalistic interest in the United States Supreme Court’s shadow docket. Yet despite this increased interest, there exists no systematic database of the shadow docket. This paper summarizes the Supreme Court Shadow Docket Database, which we create by parsing the Journal of the Supreme Court from the 1993 through 2024 terms into individual orders. We categorize these orders into a set of usable categories, including cert denials, injunctions, summary reversals, mandamus petitions and grant, vacate, and remands. We illustrate some potential uses of the data by examining several interesting trends in the Court’s use of the shadow docket over time.
Journal Journal of Law and Courts
Volume 14(1)
Pages 220–37
Year 2026
Documents PDF Shadow Docket Database