Supreme Court Archives - Art Lien, Courtartist

Very Few February Sketches

by Art Lien | Mar 15, 2021 | Arguments, Supreme Court

Other than the Arizona voting case it was a pretty quiet calendar for the SCOTUS February sitting. This month will be pretty much the same, but April looks to pick up the pace. And I’m getting fat and lazy.

Neal K. Katyal for respondent

David J. Zimmer for respondent

Jeffrey Fisher, with law students, arguing for petitioner

Samuel T. Harbourt, California Deputy Solicitor General

Amanda K. Rice, Court-appointed amicus in support of judgement below

Mark A. Perry arguing for Smith & Nephew, Inc. in Arthrex

Jessica R. Amunson for repondent Secretary Hobbs

Sarah M. Harris for petitioners

January SCOTUS Sketches – A Little Late

by Art Lien | Feb 28, 2021 | Arguments, Supreme Court

Fencing surrounds SCOTUS following mob attack on capitol.

January was a little crazy here in DC so maybe I’ll be forgiven for forgetting to post these sketches in a timely manner. Fewer cases than usual were on the calendar, and arguments continued to be heard remotely by telephone.

Paul W. Hughes for respondents

Andrew A. Pinson for respondents

Kristen K. Waggoner for petitioners

Joel R. Marcus arguing for FTC

Kannon K. Shanmugam for petitioners

Victor M. Sher for respondents

December SCOTUS Sketches

by Art Lien | Dec 20, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

I’ve imagined cobwebs on the bench. Maybe sheets have been thrown over the Justices’ chairs to protect them from dust like in an old horror movie.

Darkness was everywhere, it smelled like a tomb
I was ready to leave, I was already walkin’
But the next time I looked, there was light in the

We look forward to that day, probably the first Monday in October, when we are back in the courtroom. Meanwhile, the 2020 term goes on with lawyers making their arguments by telephone from dining room tables and law offices.

Cameron T. Norris for petitioner

Neal K. Katyal for petitioners

André Bélanger for petitioner

Elizabeth Murrill, Louisiana Solicitor General, for repondent.

Jonathan M. Freiman for petitioners

Sarah E. Harrington for respondents

Greg Silbert for petitioners

Nicholas M. O’Donnell for respondents

Professor Bryan Garner for respondents

Kannon Shanmugam for petitioner

Daniel L. Geyser for respondent

Aaron L. Nielson, Court-appointed amicus

Sketches From the November Session

by Art Lien | Nov 12, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

With one third of the Supreme Court now comprised of Trump appointed justices there was fear that last Tuesday’s election might end up being decided by the justices. That now seems unlikely given the margins, much to the relief of the Court I imagine.

The Justices continue to hear arguments by telephone conference, though probably not on the receivers pictured above. Below are sketches done from photos arguing counsel were kind enough to send me.

Sarah M. Harris for petitioner

Sanjay Narayan for respondent

David M. Shapiro for petitioner

Mississippi Deputy Solicitor General Krissy C. Nobile

Kannon Shanmugam for petitioner

Neal Katyal for repondents

Lori Windham, with co-counsel Mark Rienzi, for petitioner

David Zimmer for petitioner

Patrick M. Jaicomo for respondent

Texas Solictor General Kyle D. Hawkins

California Solicitor General Michael J. Mongan

A New Justice, A new Court

by Art Lien | Nov 1, 2020 | Supreme Court

Halloween Banner / Justice Barrett

After a rushed and contentious partisan confirmation Justice Amy Coney Barrett will join the chief and associate justices to hear oral arguments tomorrow. And with the presidential election upon us there is a good chance we will soon have a sense of the new Court.

October “Sitting” Sketches

by Art Lien | Nov 1, 2020 | Arguments, Supreme Court

No justices were actually sitting in the courtroom on the first Monday of the October 2020 term, nor where any lawyers or the public. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced all of us to adapt to new conditions of social distancing. For the Supreme Court that has meant hearing arguments by conference call, with the bonus that the audio is live-streamed to the public. For me, while it’s great to listen to the arguments from the comfort of my studio, there’s not much to draw. At least there wasn’t until arguing counsel started sending me photos of their kitchen-table set-ups ( not really, at least not yet. But I’m hoping for a kitchen setting ). I’m enjoying the change after forty years of lawyers in suits arguing from the lectern.