Quirky traditions and unusual habits of the bench
Unbelievable backgrounds of the justices
Trailblazers and historic firsts
Oddities, off-duty hobbies, and strange cases
schopenhauer A secret basketball court sits inside the United States Supreme Court.
What historical item, originally meant for tobacco, still sits next to each Supreme Court justice's desk?
Which Supreme Court justice was known to regularly play basketball on the court's fifth-floor gym?
schopenhauer The Highest Court
Dribbling on the fifth floor (oh yeah!) / Above the courtroom we score (swish!)
schopenhauer Unlike TV judges, US Supreme Court justices have never used a wooden gavel to maintain order.
Which Chief Justice introduced the mandatory 'conference handshake' tradition?
How many individual handshakes occur during the Supreme Court's 'conference handshake' ritual?
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.
schopenhauer United States Supreme Court justices perform a mandatory handshake tradition.
schopenhauer Before they discuss any case, all nine justices must shake hands with one another.
Where is the basketball court known as the 'Highest Court in the Land' located?
What operetta inspired Chief Justice William Rehnquist to add gold stripes to his robe?
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.
schopenhauer The United States Supreme Court keeps traditional brass spittoons in its courtroom.
What traditional souvenir is still placed at the desks of attorneys arguing before the Supreme Court?
schopenhauer Match rebel justices to their wildest rulings to discover the Supreme Court's strangest history.
When is playing basketball on the Supreme Court's gym floor strictly prohibited?