# Why does Supreme court take 3 months off in summer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798 "2015-06-06T16:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/21 "2015-06-07T20:54:09Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I’m being a little facetious, but I still think they’re kind of shameless in their work to off-time ratio. Especially when you hear some of the questions they ask during oral arguments. It took you that long and this is what you come up with? Many of the questions they ask intentionally “play dumb” to reveal weaknesses in the parties’ line of argument. In many cases, arguments submitted by a party are subject to very powerful counter-arguments, so in these cases it is a popular strategy of justices to phrase the counter-argument as simply as possible, fling it at counsel, and see what they do with it. (Counsel for the other side will, of course, be treated just as harshly when it’s their turn.) In my view, it’s a more effective questioning technique than reciting learned treatises, because this technique boils the counter-argument down to the core of its logic, rather than offering parties wiggle-room to evade the central point. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/22 "2015-06-07T22:17:27Z")
I’m worried Clarence Thomas may be forced to retire due to overuse of his vocal chords. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/23 "2015-06-08T03:49:58Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Especially when you hear some of the questions they ask during oral arguments. So you’re okay with Thomas? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/24 "2015-06-08T15:27:04Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > It took you that long and this is what you come up with? There really isn’t anything new for them to ask by the time cases come up for oral argument. There will already be a trial record of (at a minimum) several thousand pages, an appellate record of several hundred extra pages, the parties’ briefs and reply briefs, the amici briefs, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/25 "2015-06-08T15:36:01Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I’m worried Clarence Thomas may be forced to retire due to overuse of his vocal chords. He’s saving his strength for his post SCOTUS gig on Fox Radio. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/26 "2015-06-08T18:20:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Supreme Court Justices only make $15000 a year\*. Must of them work second jobs during the summer to tide them over. > > \*You can verify this on Wikipedia if you give me five minutes. Oh, yeah, I can vouch that this is true for sure, because Justice Ginsberg is a caddy over the summer at our local country club. And Scalia is a lifeguard. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/27 "2015-06-08T18:32:58Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > Many of the questions they ask intentionally “play dumb” to reveal weaknesses in the parties’ line of argument. I’ve heard those question are the justices letting the others know the basic of _their_ arguments in how they plan to rule. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/28 "2015-06-08T18:35:58Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I’m worried Clarence Thomas may be forced to retire due to overuse of his vocal chords. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > He’s saving his strength for his post SCOTUS gig on Fox Radio. No, he’s got a plan. He figures if he establishes enough of a reputation now for being quiet, he might be able to fool them when he dies and get a couple more years in. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/29 "2015-06-08T22:31:17Z")
Does anyone else keep seeing this thread and thinking “Superman takes summers off?” ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798/30 "2015-06-09T16:08:20Z")
“Why does Supreme court take 3 months off in summer?” You’d prefer they do it in winter? Ba-dump, pssssh! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-supreme-court-take-3-months-off-in-summer/721798.md?page=1)