The beginning of a new term for the United States Supreme Court is typically ushered in with a string of seminars, panel discussions and, most recently, podcasts, in which scholars, practitioners and journalists consider pending cases and argue about whether and how the coming term will transform US law and politics.

The 2017 term, which begins on 2 October, is no exception, but this time the perennial prognostications that this will be a historic term are likely to be correct.