It’s hard to believe, but SCOTUSblog has now been around for nearly a quarter-century – old enough to run for Congress! SCOTUSblog was originally launched to help promote a then-three-person law firm. As a business-development strategy, the blog was not particularly successful, but it was a lot of fun, and other people seemed to find it useful. And, incredibly, over the years, SCOTUSblog became the definitive source for comprehensive and independent coverage of the Supreme Court.
Last year, SCOTUSblog began a new chapter when it became part of The Dispatch family.
As part of its acquisition of SCOTUSblog, The Dispatch’s co-founder and CEO, Steve Hayes, promised both to “let SCOTUSblog be SCOTUSblog” and to “invest in” the blog “to ensure that it remains the go-to authority on the Supreme Court.” Just over 15 months later, we couldn’t be happier with how The Dispatch’s bet on us is paying off. We’ve launched a daily newsletter, brought on more than 20 recurring columnists, revived the popular Stat Pack (and even introduced a new one), expanded our coverage of the court to include all of the argued cases and live blogs of high-profile arguments, and given the site a complete redesign – with plenty more to come.
Today, we are excited to announce our next chapter: SCOTUSblog Plus.
Here’s why we’re launching Plus:
First, the Supreme Court plays a central role in the direction of our country, deciding legal issues that shape our future and affect our daily lives. But it is an institution that is both relatively opaque and often misunderstood, which calls for especially careful coverage of it.
Second, and relatedly, many of you have asked for even more analysis, reporting, and breakdown of arguments, orders, and decisions – including of the circuit and district courts. We hear you.
Third, and to be blunt, running a blog like this one costs money. Your purchase of Plus will give us the resources to thrive in an increasingly difficult and competitive media environment. It will also give us the ability to continue our expansion and maintain SCOTUSblog as the best resource on the Supreme Court out there.
But what exactly will you get with Plus?
- Our daily newsletter, SCOTUStoday: All of the day’s Supreme Court news and commentary, presented in a smart, approachable, and entertaining way, delivered every weekday to your inbox (starting on Sept. 22, this will no longer be available to non-Plus members Monday through Thursday)
- Explainers & SCOTUS FOCUS: Deep dives on the court, the issues that it’s confronting, and what its decisions actually mean
- Expert briefings & AMAs: Live insight behind the coverage, from those reporters and experts most familiar with the court. This includes chats with, among others, Sarah Isgur, Amy, Zach, and the extended SCOTUSblog universe
- Enhanced SCOTUS Statistics & complete Stat Packs: Right now, our statistics on Supreme Court coalitions, voting patterns, and much else come out with our Stat Packs twice a year. With SCOTUSblog Plus, you get all this information and more, updated contemporaneously with each court decision
- Text alerts: Decisions, orders, and arguments after they’re announced
- Our expanded Petitions to Watch: The cert petitions most likely to shape the docket, which have been re-organized and more fully explained
- Live-blog commenting: The ability to weigh in alongside experts and other SCOTUS watchers
- With even more features and products to come
For the next 30 days, we’re offering a limited-time founding membership – at a lower price – for those who want to join us on the ground floor. In addition to the above, as a founding member you’ll also get exclusive access to our first AMA (and some very cool merch).
Just to be absolutely clear: our core reporting isn’t going anywhere. Our analyses of court news and cases, along with the docket, calendar, and other coverage, will remain free. But we do hope you’ll help sustain SCOTUSblog by joining Plus.
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Since its inception, we’ve always thought of SCOTUSblog as more than simply a news site. For us, it’s a community of people who are deeply interested in – and just maybe a little obsessive about – the Supreme Court. We are so grateful to all of you for your support of SCOTUSblog and your participation in this special community, and we can’t wait to enter SCOTUSblog’s next phase with you.