Chapter 1
Quirky traditions and unusual habits of the bench
Chapter 2
Unbelievable backgrounds of the justices
Chapter 3
Trailblazers and historic firsts
Chapter 4
Oddities, off-duty hobbies, and strange cases
YOUR GOAL
Master of The secret life of supreme court justices
Ch 1 · Quirky traditions and unusual habits of the bench
schopenhauer The Highest Court
Dribbling on the fifth floor (oh yeah!) / Above the courtroom we score (swish!)
schopenhauer The United States Supreme Court keeps traditional brass spittoons in its courtroom.
schopenhauer Before they discuss any case, all nine justices must shake hands with one another.
schopenhauer Unlike TV judges, US Supreme Court justices have never used a wooden gavel to maintain order.
BETA
schopenhauer Match rebel justices to their wildest rulings to discover the Supreme Court's strangest history.
Fun Fact
The Supreme Court quill: Since 1801, lawyers arguing before the Supreme Court receive a pair of crossed, hand-carved white quill pens as a traditional souvenir.
Glossary
handshake (noun)
An act of grasping and shaking a person's hand, typically to express greeting, farewell, or agreement. Chief Justice Melville Fuller initiated this court ritual in the late nineteenth century to foster collegiality.
An act of grasping and shaking a person's hand, typically to express greeting, farewell, or agreement. Chief Justice Melville Fuller initiated this court ritual in the late nineteenth century to foster collegiality.
Quiz
What operetta inspired Chief Justice William Rehnquist to add gold stripes to his robe?
Quiz
How many individual handshakes occur during the Supreme Court's 'conference handshake' ritual?
schopenhauer United States Supreme Court justices perform a mandatory handshake tradition.
Quiz
Which Supreme Court justice was known to regularly play basketball on the court's fifth-floor gym?
schopenhauer A secret basketball court sits inside the United States Supreme Court.
Quiz
When is playing basketball on the Supreme Court's gym floor strictly prohibited?
Quiz
What traditional souvenir is still placed at the desks of attorneys arguing before the Supreme Court?
Quiz
Where is the basketball court known as the 'Highest Court in the Land' located?
Quiz
Which Chief Justice introduced the mandatory 'conference handshake' tradition?
Quiz
What historical item, originally meant for tobacco, still sits next to each Supreme Court justice's desk?