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Chief Justice Roberts' End of Year Report
Chief Justice Roberts' End of Year Report
In the fall of 1787, Alexander Hamilton en- been more productive, America might have re-
listed James Madison and John Jay to join him warded him with a Broadway musical. But his
in producing what became America’s greatest low output did not arise from lack of industry.
civics lesson—the Federalist Papers. The three Historians have deduced that Jay’s productiv-
authors collectively wrote 85 brilliant essays for ity was in fact hindered by a calamity that
publication in New York newspapers over the arose in the midst of the Federalist project—
next year, successfully advocating for ratifica- the Doctors’ Riot.
tion of the United States Constitution. Origi- In the winter of 1788, New York newspa-
nally addressed “To the People of the State of pers reported accounts that medical students
New York,” generations worldwide have hailed were robbing graves so they could practice
their works as an enduring exposition on the surgery on cadavers. In April, the chatter
core principles of our constitutional democracy. gelled into a rumor that students at New York
Hamilton, Madison, and Jay wrote under Hospital were dissecting a schoolboy’s re-
the shared pseudonym “Publius,” but histori- cently deceased mother. An angry mob
ans have since deciphered authorship of the in- stormed the hospital, and the mayor gave some
dividual essays. John Jay appears to have of the medical staff refuge in the city jail.
shouldered the lightest load of the trio, produc- When the mob marched on the jail, John Jay,
ing only five of the articles. Perhaps if Jay had who lived nearby, grabbed his sword and
1
347 U.S. 483 (1954).
2
See https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources.
3
See https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/annual-observances/open-doors-federal-
courts.
4
See https://www.fjc.gov/history.
5
See https://justiceforall.ca2.uscourts.gov/learning_center_home.html.
6
See https://judiciallearningcenter.org.
7
See https://www.sacjlc.com/learning-center.
8
See https://www.icivics.org/games.
9
See https://www.ncsc.org/education-and-careers/civics-education.aspx.
10
See https://draftingtable.constitutioncenter.org.
11
See https://supremecourthistory.org/lc_home.html.
12
See https://ussenateyouth.org.
13
See https://www.jamesmadison.gov.
14
See https://internships.supremecourt.gov.
15
17 U.S. (4 Wheat.) 316, 433 (1819).
16
Id.at 433-435 (“[I]n applying their opinions to the cases which may arise in the progress of our government, a
right to judge of their correctness must be maintained.”).
Supreme Court Regional Courts of
Cases Filed Appeals Filings
6,996 7,496 7,033
8,000 6,442 80,000
60,357
6,000 60,000 52,698 50,506 49,276 48,486
4,047
4,000 40,000
2,000 20,000
0 0
OT 84 OT 94 OT 04 OT 14 OT 18 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019