Recent Court Rulings
Court decisions that change what ordinary people can do, explained in plain English. Each guide starts from the published opinion itself and answers the practical question: what is different now, who does it apply to, and what should you do about it. A ruling binds only the courts it binds, and a decision can be revised, reheard, or narrowed on remand, so every guide says which court decided it and how far it reaches. Not legal advice.
Latest rulings explained
Plain-English guides to recent decisions, each written from the published opinion.
Can a Family Use an AI Video of the Victim at Sentencing?
An Arizona appeals court ruled on September 30, 2026 that a sentencing judge should not have relied on an AI video that put a relative's imagined words in a homicide victim's mouth. Here is what families and defendants can still do.
Read the guide →Can You Use ChatGPT or AI to Write Your Own Court Papers?
Yes, you can use AI to help draft court papers, but you answer for every citation. Courts in Arizona and Florida have sanctioned self-represented people over fake cases. Here is how to check before you file.
Read the guide →Can AI Companies Train on Copyrighted Work Without Permission?
A federal appeals court said copying Westlaw headnotes to train a competing AI search tool was not fair use. It did not decide the question for chatbots or image generators, which is still open.
Read the guide →Can You Be Asked to Prove Citizenship to Stay Registered to Vote?
Yes, in some states: the Supreme Court let a modified federal citizenship-check program resume Sept. 25, 2026 while a lawsuit continues. Here is what the stay does, what it does not decide, and what to do if you get a notice.
Read the guide →Can Uber Force Your Family Into Arbitration After a Fatal Crash?
An Illinois Supreme Court ruling holds Uber could not force a widow's wrongful death lawsuit into arbitration using her own account terms, because they covered only her own rides, not her husband's fatal one.
Read the guide →Does Your Mail-In Ballot Count If It Arrives After Election Day?
The Supreme Court's Watson ruling lets states count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later. Here is what changed, and what did not.
Read the guide →Can You Sue a Prison for Violating Your Religious Rights?
The Supreme Court ruled RLUIPA bars damages suits against state prison officials personally. Here is what still works after Landor v. Louisiana.
Read the guide →Can You Still Sue Over Roundup After the Supreme Court Ruling?
The Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell blocks Roundup failure-to-warn claims. Here is what survives, what the widely circulated opt-out deadline gets wrong, and the EPA petition route the Court itself named.
Read the guide →Browse by court
A ruling's reach depends on which court issued it, so these are grouped by deciding court.
Supreme Court Decisions
Decisions of the United States Supreme Court that change everyday rights, written for people without a law degree.
6 guides →State Supreme Court Rulings
Rulings from state supreme courts that change what people in that state can do or are owed.
1 guides →State Appeals Court Rulings
Published decisions from state intermediate appeals courts that change what people in that state can do or are owed.
2 guides →Federal Appeals Court Rulings
Published decisions from the U.
1 guides →