The year has been jam-packed with consequential legal rulings likely to have long-lasting impact on matters such as parental rights and religious liberty. 

The Supreme Court—often known for ideological divisions—reached unanimous rulings on two contentious issues. 

On other fronts, personal legal cases against President Donald Trump have fallen away, even amid skyrocketing litigation challenging his administration’s policies. 

Here’s a look at the biggest legal matters to emerge from 2025. 

The Biden administration’s Justice Department and state prosecutors launched a barrage of investigations and indictments against Trump and allies during the 45th and 47th president’s four years out of office.

In late 2024, the Justice Department dropped special counsel Jack Smith’s case against then-President-elect Trump. Smith had secured grand jury indictments against Trump regarding his challenge to the 2020 election outcome. A federal court in Florida had already dismissed the case accusing Trump of mishandling classified information. 

Almost a year into the second term, in late November, Georgia Judge Scott McAfee agreed to dismiss a racketeering conspiracy case against Trump and various Trump allies from the challenge to the 2020 election. 

“His criminal exposure is effectively over,” Paul Kamenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center, told The Daily Signal. “That was a big victory for Trump personally.”

Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump in the conspiracy case. After Willis was disqualified from handling the case, it passed to Peter Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, who asked the judge to........

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