To write about the D.C. Circuit this week is to join a much broader discussion about the court’s role in American law and policy. Jonathan Adler recently wrote about the court at Volokh.com, expanding upon a piece he wrote for the Environmental Law Institute’s Environmental Forum. Michael Greve has posted a series of essays about the court on the Liberty Law Blog. And a team of former D.C. Circuit clerks offers a fascinating analysis of the D.C. Circuit’s jurisdiction in a new law review article.

But amid all of this, the best explanation of the court’s authority and responsibility comes from the court itself, in its latest decision in the ongoing litigation over Yucca Mountain.