Archives

Republican senators used racially coded language to question Ketanji Brown Jackson. There’s history to that.

Sharon Wright Austin - March 28, 2022

Compare that to the language senators used to grill Constance Baker Motley in 1966, slowing down her confirmation as the first Black female federal judge.

Sotomayor said people of color feel pressure to prove themselves every day. She’s right, our research finds.

Susan Haire, Robert K. Christensen, Laura Moyer, and John Szmer - October 26, 2021

When women or people of color write majority appeals court opinions, they ground their reasoning more thoroughly in precedent.

The Supreme Court just took a case that could kill Roe v. Wade — or let it die slowly

Mary Ziegler - May 18, 2021

Can states ban abortion before ‘viability,’ meaning before the fetus could survive outside the womb?

Will Breyer retire while Democrats hold the White House and Senate? Here’s what political science tells us.

Christine Nemacheck - April 21, 2021

Most federal judges retire for personal, rather than politically strategic, reasons. Supreme Court justices may be different.

Why even diehard originalists aren’t really originalists

Susan Liebell - October 16, 2020

Consider “coverture,” a doctrine older than the Constitution, in which husbands controlled wives.

Trump says the Supreme Court would allow a ‘very powerful flag-burning statute.’ He’s wrong.

Keith Whittington - June 2, 2020

The Roberts court strongly supports a broad interpretation of free speech.

The Supreme Court hasn’t followed public opinion for 50 years. Why would it start now?

Logan Strother and Ben Johnson - October 17, 2018

[caption id="attachment_78122" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge

No, it’s not just theater. Here’s what to expect from the Kavanaugh hearings this week

Justin Wedeking - September 4, 2018

[caption id="attachment_77332" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump speaks with Brett M.

Will Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski support Trump’s Supreme Court nominee? Here’s what history tells us.

Michele Swers - July 6, 2018

[caption id="attachment_75341" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) speaks at

It took conservatives 50 years to get a reliable majority on the Supreme Court. Here are 3 reasons why.

Brandon Bartels - June 29, 2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/segments/what-justice-kennedys-retirement-means-for-the-supreme-court/2018/06/27/deb195fe-7a35-11e8-ac4e-421ef7165923_video.html Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement, announced Wednesday, will give President