The Marble Palace Blog: Gifts for SCOTUS Devotees

The U.S. Supreme Court’s gift shop is the (online) place for holiday presents for the SCOTUS aficionados in your life.

With holidays looming, you might be turning from brief-writing to gift purchasing. A hot spot for lawyerly folks in Washington has been the Supreme Court’s gift shop, part of the building for more than four decades.

But the shop, along with most of the court building itself, shut down when the pandemic began last year. Luckily, the shop has a robust online website displaying a full array of gifts, including books, backpacks and tchotchkes.

The shop is run by the Supreme Court Historical Society, and has a mission beyond reaping revenue. “The money the society makes from the gift shop is used to underwrite the society’s programs and publications,” said Jennifer Lowe, director of the society’s programs and strategic planning. “But the gift shop itself is part of the society’s educational mission. Visitors to the Supreme Court can go home with accurate and interesting books about the court and its history. That is just as important as making a profit.” Let’s hope the shop will open again soon. Meantime, here is a rundown of some gift ideas:

– Supreme miscellany: Kids love gavel-headed pencils. Trust me. And the Christmas tree ornament is a winner. Slate coasters etched with the Supreme Court seal are cool. With a Supreme Court backpack, you can look like you’re a harried law clerk carrying dozens of amicus briefs. And don’t forget Supreme Court fidget spinners and Supreme Court plush bears!

– Justices’ books: Neil Gorsuch’s “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” is available, as is Stephen Breyer’s new “The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics.” Sonia Sotomayor’s children’s books, some in Spanish, including the recent “Just Ask,” are great. Same for the numerous books by and about the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The indispensable RBG “Workout” is at reach. Antonin Scalia’s books written in conjunction with Bryan Garner are must-haves for appellate advocates. Biographies of justices are too numerous to mention.

– Cookbooks, yes cookbooks: At the intersection of law and food (my favorite place) you can find two great Supreme Court-related cookbooks: “Chef Supreme: Martin Ginsburg” and “Table for 9: Supreme Court Food Traditions & Recipes.” Martin Ginsburg was the chef of the Ginsburg family, and when he died, his recipes were put into a book, with the help of Martha-Ann Alito, spouse of Samuel Alito. As for “Table for 9,” it’s a rich chronicle of justices’ eating habits and preferences, authored by the historical society’s Clare Cushman.

-- Turtles no more: Two items I bought in years past were not available the last time I visited the gift shop: A silk tie adorned with images of tiny turtles, and a coffee mug also featuring a turtle and the motto “Slow & Steady.” Both were meant to depict the deliberative pace of the court. (Marble turtles can also be found in outdoor nooks and crannies of the building.)  The shop does offer a turtle stress reliever, but still… Bring back the turtle tie and mug!

– Last but not least: This is not for everyone, but if you join the society’s rarified John Marshall Circle by making a gift of $5,000 to the society, you can own a velvet and silk pillow with the seal of the society, made from the velvet draperies that hung in the courtroom until they were replaced in 2020.