An Afternoon at the Supreme Court

Throughout this summer we have embarked on numerous study tours each Friday. We have visited places such as the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. In addition, this past Friday, we toured the Supreme Court, which was a very intriguing experience. Being someone who is highly interested in attending Law School after undergrad, the Supreme Court was a very fascinating place to visit. Each day as I walk from the Congressional to Capitol South Metro Station, I watch the tourists take pictures of the Supreme Court building, anxiously awaiting going inside. I have also had the opportunity, on days such as when the Healthcare ruling was announced, to see camera crews lined up rows deep and camped out in front of the court from my morning trip to work and still there as I walk home from work. Evidently, I couldn’t wait for the day that we would tour and spend an afternoon inside the court.

When we first arrived at the building we briefly looked around at the different exhibits on the ground floor. One particular statue we looked at was that of John Marshall. In general, the entire building was beautifully constructed. We also had the chance to look at the marble spiral staircase, which is pictured below. After browsing around, we went and listened to a courtroom lecture. This is lead by a Docent in the actual Courtroom on the first floor. This lecture was very exciting to me. Not only did she talk about the history and architecture of the building, but she explained the ins and outs of the Courtroom and what takes place on days when Court is in session. I was surprised at the size of the Courtroom, as it was much smaller than I was expecting. The room set up is also very different from other courts, as it is an Appellate Court. There are no seats for a Jury and the Justices’ bench is almost arms reach from the tables where the arguing attorneys sit.

After the informative lecture from the Docent, we went and viewed the Visitors’ Film in the theater. It was noteworthy to hear the Justices’ (current and previous) point of views and thoughts throughout the film. The film also showed different parts of the building not open for touring and talked a lot about the history of the court. Overall, the Supreme Court was a remarkable building and everything I was expecting. My interest in the duties of the Justices has only further sparked my interest in attending Law School in the near future.

-Ariel Cohen