Marble, drape and justice: inside the U.S. Supreme Court

Marble, drape and justice: inside the U.S. Supreme Court

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Laboring in a white marble building insulated from the sounds of any protesters outside, the Supreme Court clings to its own steady rhythms regardless of the politics of the day and changes in its own ranks. That is how it has been for the 2015-16 term, marked by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. A nine-member court suddenly became an eight-member bench.

. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

As he chatted with law clerks in his chambers, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas laughed so hard he looked as though he might tumble from his chair.

. Washington, United States. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst,drape and justice: inside the U.S. Supreme Court" PHOTO ESSAY UNTIL AFTER OCTOBER 1,2017.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sorted through the cabinet of lacy collars she wears over her black robe for the one she dons when about to announce a majority opinion.

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Justice Stephen Breyer searched his shelves of antique books for just the right volume to make a point.

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And Chief Justice John Roberts savoured a bowl of soup while lunching with his clerks in a book-lined study.

These are some of the moments captured by Reuters since it began last October to chronicle a single nine-month term of America's highest court. The session is set to close by the end of June, with rulings still awaited on abortion rights, race-based university admissions and President Barack Obama's immigration plan.

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Ideologically divided between four conservatives and four liberals, the justices began opting for narrow decisions that minimised differences.

In some instances, they returned disputes to lower courts for more proceedings, in effect deciding not to decide - or at least not to decide much - while shorthanded. Obama's nomination of federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland to succeed Scalia has stalled in the U.S. Senate. The Republican majority has vowed not to act on any nominee put forward by Obama, whose presidency ends in January.

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Supreme Court rulings tend to be illustrated in news reports by photos of the marble-columned exterior or by nondescript head shots of individual justices in black robes. Rarely does the public see images of the elegant courtroom, the flower-filled inner courtyards, the chandeliered library, or the ceremonial conference rooms lined with portraits of the 16 chief justices who preceded John Roberts since the country's founding. Rarely does the public see the staff members who support the justices.

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Reuters captured not just the court and lawyers who argue cases, but Clerk of the Court Scott Harris, who handles the thousands of petitions that reach the justices each year, of which they select only about 70 to hear, as well as the gardeners and elevator operators. This is an institution that hews to tradition, and its elevators are still operated by hand.

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Reuters sought to avoid highlighting any single day or case. One day turned out to be more notable than others, however. That was Feb. 13, when Justice Scalia died while on a hunting trip in Texas. His death, and the loss of a crucial fifth conservative vote, changed everything, and the session now coming to a close offers a contrast between what might have been and what is.

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An anti-abortion protester demonstrates outside the U.S. Supreme Court building.

The justices had been set to rule on disputes that would determine the power of unions, the reach of abortion rights, the future of racial university admissions, and the validity of Obama's executive action to shield millions of immigrants in the country illegally from deportation. The court seemed headed for a series of blockbuster rulings, likely favoring conservative results.

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After Scalia's death, it became clear that with conservatives unable to dominate, a majority across ideological lines was readier to compromise. In this politically charged U.S. election year, the justices have largely drawn back from the national scene, sticking to familiar routines, closing ranks, and awaiting the day when they have a ninth again.

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Slideshow

Television journalists prepare for a news conference.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Television journalists prepare for a news conference.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan walks with her clerk in one of the four inner courtyards.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan walks with her clerk in one of the four inner courtyards.

U.S. Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg (left) and Sonia Sotomayor sit on stage as they talk about the role of food in the life of the U.S. Supreme Court at the National Museum of American History.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg (left) and Sonia Sotomayor sit on stage as they talk about the role of food in the life of the U.S. Supreme Court at the National Museum of American History.

Elevator operator Johnnie Bacon, from Washington, smiles at a passenger as he tends one of the elevators.
. Washington, United States. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Elevator operator Johnnie Bacon, from Washington, smiles at a passenger as he tends one of the elevators.

A marble staircase leads down to an elevator.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

A marble staircase leads down to an elevator.

Historical and mythical figures of the law are seen in a frieze in the courtroom.
. Washington, United States. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Historical and mythical figures of the law are seen in a frieze in the courtroom.

A collection of Supreme Court bobblehead dolls and a football signed by Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly are seen among law books in U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts's private study.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

A collection of Supreme Court bobblehead dolls and a football signed by Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly are seen among law books in U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts's private study.

Attorney Carter Phillips carries out a personal ritual of communing with a statuette of Rex Lee, a former partner at Sidley Austin LLP and a former U.S. Solicitor General, on his way to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Attorney Carter Phillips carries out a personal ritual of communing with a statuette of Rex Lee, a former partner at Sidley Austin LLP and a former U.S. Solicitor General, on his way to argue a case before the Supreme Court.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy delivers a lecture in the West Conference Room.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy delivers a lecture in the West Conference Room.

Red velvet drapes hang at the back of the courtroom.
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Red velvet drapes hang at the back of the courtroom.

The courtroom.
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The courtroom.

Name plates mark the spaces reserved for justices' families in the courtroom.
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Name plates mark the spaces reserved for justices' families in the courtroom.

A reminder of how to address the court and a seating chart of the justices.
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A reminder of how to address the court and a seating chart of the justices.

A clock hangs in the courtroom.
. Washington, United States. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

A clock hangs in the courtroom.

Reporters wait for the release of the text of the justices' opinions, timed to match the readings of the decisions from the bench.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Reporters wait for the release of the text of the justices' opinions, timed to match the readings of the decisions from the bench.

U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben departs the U.S. Justice Department in traditional morning coat on his way to argue his one-hundredth case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
. Washington, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben departs the U.S. Justice Department in traditional morning coat on his way to argue his one-hundredth case before the U.S. Supreme Court.