Basic Information

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.)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

My Final Words

I would like to take this time to reflect on all the previous time I have worked on this blog. I am very proud of my work and I really enjoyed participating in such a different activity. I have expanded my knowledge on some very important cases dealing with what American citizens have to deal with each day. I hope that those who have read this appreciate the thought put in to each of my postings. Law is my passion and I try to be subjective and fair, just as how they try to teach lawyers. What you need to understand is that the law is such an important aspect of living here in the United States and that you should embrace the beauty behind it. I find that when you delve into a topic it just keeps getting more and more interesting. So here are my final words. I hope you try to learn more about your rights as a citizen and I hope you understand why some precedents are the way they are.
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