Judiciary Braces for Case Spike If Supreme Court Guts Chevron

A US Supreme Court ruling that further weakens or even overturns the power of federal agencies to interpret ambiguous laws would force lower courts to take on much of that burden.

That would mean ballooning caseloads for judges overseeing disputes involving technical rules in areas like environment and finance. And some courts are so short-staffed that openings have been declared judicial emergencies.

Such a burden may depend on whether the justices by the end of June reverse so-called Chevron deference or merely put new limits on it, and whether a ruling is retroactive, which could prompt ...