As the question of the day becomes who will succeed Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, here are three useful sites to turn to for background:

  • The Supreme Court Nomination Blog. Sister site to SCOTUSblog, this is a superb resource for tracking court news. Sponsored by the law firm Goldstein & Howe, its contributors include Supreme Court practitioners as well as the highly regarded court journalist Lyle Denniston.
  • A Vacancy on the Court. A Web site devoted to shedding light on the Supreme Court appointment process. Published by George Watson, professor of political science in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, the site provides explanations of how nominees are selected and approved.
  • Jurist’s Honorable Mentions. Provides further perspective on the nomination process, together with a log of potential Bush nominees.

For more information about the Supreme Court in general, here is a round-up of resources:

  • Supreme Court. The court’s own Web site provides its opinions, orders, rules, calendar, docket and other information.
  • Findlaw’s Supreme Court Center. FindLaw provides an array of resources, including all the court’s opinions since 1893; the court’s docket, including summaries of the questions presented and links to the lower court opinions; briefs; the court’s orders; its calendar; its rules; a filing guide; and biographies of all the justices.
  • Oyez Project. Listen to audio of Supreme Court oral arguments. Also here are summaries of thousands of opinions, biographical materials on all justices, and a panoramic, virtual reality tour of the Supreme Court building.
  • Jurist: U.S. Supreme Court. An index of links to Supreme Court resources.
  • On the Docket. Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism sponsors this blog, which provides regularly updated coverage of cases pending before the Supreme Court.
  • The Curiae Project. A collection of significant Supreme Court records and briefs.
  • The Supreme Court Historical Society. The history of the Supreme Court, told through features such as “Supreme Court Decisions and Women’s Rights” and “FDR & the Court-Packing Controversy.”
  • Landmark Supreme Court Cases. A site developed to support educators in teaching about landmark Supreme Court cases.
  • The Harry A. Blackmun Papers. Online guide to Blackmun’s papers at the Library of Congress.
  • Appellate.net. The Web site of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & MawÂ?s appellate and Supreme Court practice group, it covers a range of appellate courts. Its Supreme Court coverage focuses on cases of interest to the business community.
  • Legal Information Institute. All Supreme Court decisions since 1990.
  • FedWorld/FLITE Supreme Court Decisions Homepage. A database of more than 7,000 Supreme Court opinions issued between 1937 and 1975.
  • Arlington National Cemetery. Supreme Court justices and staff buried at the national cemetery.
  • A Journey Through Time. Court TV’s multimedia tour of the history of the Supreme Court building.
  • Great Buildings: U.S. Supreme Court. Information about and photos of the Supreme Court building.
Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.