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The architect Cass Gilbert had grand ambitions for his design of a new home for the Supreme Court--what he called "the greatest tribunal in the world, one of the three great elements of our national government." Gilbert knew that the approach to the Court, as much as the structure itself, would define the experience of the building, but the site presented a challenge. Other exalted Washington edifices--the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial--inspired awe with their processional approaches. But in 1928 Congress had designated for the Court a cramped and asymmetrical plot of land, wedged tightly between the Capitol and the Library of Congress. How could Gilbert convey to visitors the magnitude and importance of the judicial process taking place within the Court's walls?
The answer, he decided, was steps. Gilbert pushed back the wings of the building, so that the public face of the building would be a portico with a massive imposing stairway. Visitors would not have to walk a long distance to enter, but few would forget the experience of mounting those forty-four steps to the double row of eight massive columns supporting the roof. The walk up the stairs would be the central symbolic experience of the Supreme Court, a physical manifestation of the American march to justice. The stairs separated the Court from the everyday world--and especially from the earthly concerns of the politicians in the Capitol-- and announced that the justices would operate, literally, on a higher plane. (Toobin, Jeffrey. The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. New York: Anchor Books, 2008.)

Friday, April 16, 2010

Newest and Latest

President Obama will meet with senators from both parties on April 21 to discuss the upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court, the White House announced today.
Scheduled to appear are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, (D-Vt.) and the ranking Republican on the committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama.
They are expected to discuss the procedures for the confirmation hearings expected over the summer so that the new justice can take a seat on the bench by the fall term.
Obama will name a nominee to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, who just last week announced his retirement from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term. The candidate will have to go through hearings held by the Judiciary Committee before a vote by the full Senate.
The White House this week revealed that among the contenders was federal appeals court judge Sidney Thomas of Montana, and at least six others who were on the list when Obama chose Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the court. Among those considered potential nominees are: former Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, federal appeals court judges Diane Wood and Merrick Garland, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Republican leaders have said they will examine the nominee carefully, but it is unclear whether there will be a filibuster. Democrats no longer have a sure 60 votes needed to break any logjam.
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