History of SCOTUSblog in Timeline

SCOTUSblog is a blog providing comprehensive coverage of the Supreme Court of the United States. Written by legal professionals, it tracks cases from the certiorari stage through merits, offering live updates on opinions and grants. Known for its timely information, sometimes preceding official announcements, the blog also hosts symposiums with experts and maintains an archive of case-related documents. Previously sponsored by Bloomberg Law, it is currently owned by The Dispatch.

October 1, 2002: Blog's First Post

On October 1, 2002, the blog's first post was published. The blog was founded by Supreme Court litigator Tom Goldstein and former litigator Amy Howe.

February 7, 2005: Blog moved to current address

On February 7, 2005, the SCOTUSblog moved to its current address.

2006: Military Commissions Act of 2006

In 2006, the Supreme Court unexpectedly announced it would hear the Guantanamo Bay detainees' challenges to the Military Commissions Act of 2006 on June 29, 2007.

June 2007: Site Experiences Largest Daily Readership

In June 2007, SCOTUSblog announced that it was about to experience its single largest daily readership at 100,000 page views per day.

June 29, 2007: Supreme Court to Hear Guantanamo Bay Detainees' Challenges

On June 29, 2007, the Supreme Court unexpectedly announced it would hear the Guantanamo Bay detainees' challenges to the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

2007: Companion Wiki Added

In 2007, a companion wiki was added to SCOTUSblog, but its features were subsequently integrated into the blog itself.

2008: Article in New York Law School Law Review

In 2008, an article in the New York Law School Law Review estimated that "before the end of the afternoon, SCOTUSblog alone had posted more information about the case than most newspapers provided even the next day."

2008: SCOTUSblog as a Successful Law Blog

In 2008, an article in the New York Law School Law Review gave SCOTUSblog as an example of a successful law blog, together with Balkinization and the Volokh Conspiracy.

2009: Coverage of Sonia Sotomayor Nomination

In 2009, Paul Krugman of The New York Times wrote of SCOTUSblog's coverage of the Sonia Sotomayor nomination.

2010: Criticism for Potential Conflicts of Interest

In 2010, SCOTUSblog received some criticism for potential conflicts of interest concerning Goldstein, his litigation practice, and the blog's coverage of court matters. Journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote that the blog's favorable coverage of justices, particularly their confirmation processes, and ongoing cases was a way for Goldstein to curry favor with them for when he would argue before the court.

2010: Recipient of ABA's Silver Gavel Award

In 2010, SCOTUSblog was the recipient of the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel award. It is the only blog to receive the award.

2011: Bloomberg Law Sponsorship

In 2011, Bloomberg Law began sponsoring SCOTUSblog, allowing it to fully separate from Goldstein & Howe, P.C.

March 2012: Affordable Care Act Hearings Coverage

During the week of the Affordable Care Act hearings at the Supreme Court in March 2012, the site had one million hits owing to its extensive coverage of the arguments.

2012: Society of Professional Journalists Prize

In 2012, SCOTUSblog won the Society of Professional Journalists (Sigma Delta Chi) prize for deadline reporting by an independent (non-affiliated) source for its coverage of the announcement of the Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act decision.