5. The Court at work (2)

Abstract

“The court at work (2)” looks at the significance of the marble building the justices moved into in 1935. This permanent home had both practical and symbolic weight, communicating the Court’s role at the head of a coequal branch of government. The Court has been criticized for its risk of bias, choice of cases, and focus on the “litigated Constitution” rather than structural problems that may be beyond any court’s reach. While much of the work happens behind closed doors rather than in the open sessions, the Internet has brought the Court closer to the public, with audio files and transcripts available almost in real time.