Writings Show Conservative Justices Differ Even When in Majority

An uptick in concurring opinions written by Supreme Court justices is evidence of divisions among the conservative majority, even as they agree on outcomes most of the time.

The justices penned more concurring opinions, 62, than majority ones, 59, this term, accounting for almost 40% of total decisions issued in argued cases, a Bloomberg Law analysis showed.

The high number of concurrences—three or more in eight cases—suggests conservatives are feeling freer to voice their own views in writing separately rather than just signing up with a majority. The increase also might signal that Chief Justice John Roberts has less control ...