Glossary
Shadow docket
Supreme Court glossaryAll terms
Definition
Shadow docket is an informal label for emergency orders and other actions outside the Court's full merits schedule.
Why it matters
These orders can affect laws or lower-court rulings quickly, sometimes before full briefing and argument.
In practice
Emergency orders often turn on compressed filings, interim relief standards, and timing, with shorter explanations than merits opinions.
Separate the immediate order from any later merits case; the emergency posture may not settle the final legal rule.
Common confusion
It is not a separate official docket. The phrase describes posture and timing, not a different court process.