"Back at Full Strength, Supreme Court Faces a Momentous Term", 1 Oct 2017

The Supreme Court...is returning to the bench on Monday with a far-reaching docket that renews its central role in American life...

The new term is studded with major cases likely to provoke sharp conflicts...

The court will re-enter the culture wars in a case concerning a Colorado baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a gay couple, saying it would violate his Christian faith and his right to free speech...

On one side are religious people and companies that say the government should not force them to choose between the requirements of their faiths and their livelihoods. On the other are gay and lesbian couples who say they are entitled to equal treatment from businesses that choose to serve the general public...

...[T]he court will hear arguments about whether companies can use arbitration clauses in employment contracts to prohibit workers from linking together to take legal action over workplace issues.

The Supreme Court has generally favored contracts that require disputes to be resolved informally through arbitration rather than litigation...