History of SCOTUSblog in Timeline

SCOTUSblog is a blog focused on the Supreme Court of the United States. Written by legal professionals and students, it monitors cases from initial review to final arguments. Formerly backed by Bloomberg Law, it is now owned by The Dispatch. The blog offers comprehensive coverage of the Court's activities, providing insights and analysis for legal professionals and the public.

October 1, 2002: Blog's First Post

On October 1, 2002, SCOTUSblog's first post was published. The blog was founded by Supreme Court litigator Tom Goldstein and former litigator Amy Howe to promote their law firm, then known as Goldstein & Howe, P.C.

February 7, 2005: Blog Moves to Current Address

On February 7, 2005, SCOTUSblog moved to its current address, marking a significant milestone in the blog's development.

2006: Military Commissions Act

In 2006, the Military Commissions Act was passed, which later led to legal challenges that the Supreme Court agreed to hear in 2007.

June 2007: 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, contributing to SCOTUSblog's largest daily readership at the time.

2007: Companion Wiki Added

In 2007, a companion wiki was added to SCOTUSblog, though its features were later integrated into the main blog.

2008: Article in New York Law School Law Review

In 2008, an article in the New York Law School Law Review estimated that SCOTUSblog posted more information about the Guantanamo Bay case than most newspapers provided 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 about SCOTUSblog's coverage of the Sonia Sotomayor nomination, highlighting its importance in shaping the debate with real information.

2010: Criticism for Potential Conflicts of Interest

In 2010, SCOTUSblog received criticism from journalist Glenn Greenwald in Salon for potential conflicts of interest concerning Goldstein's litigation practice and the blog's coverage of court matters.

2010: ABA's Silver Gavel Award

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

2011: Bloomberg Law Sponsorship

In 2011, Bloomberg Law began sponsoring SCOTUSblog, which allowed the blog 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, SCOTUSblog had one million hits due 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 source for its coverage of the announcement of the Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act decision.