Reel

This Honorable Court: Inside the Marble Temple. A look atthe Supreme Court of the United States.

Exterior of Supreme Court, from bottom of step, tilt up.

Stacks of documents piled high on table, African American male clerk making nine stacks, loading them onto cart.

Justice Harry Blackmun working at desk in chambers.

ustice Thurgood Marshall reviewing briefs in chambers.

Ceiling of hall of reading room at the Supreme Court building.

Justice William Brennan meaning of a statute ought to be discernable in actual language that the Congress has used. The difficulty is that very often you can t because the ambiguity that is a result, very often I m sure, as a compromise between differing views about the statute in the Congress. It just means we have to do the best that we can, but we are consoled if we ve guessed wrong as to what they meant. They can always correct it. When you re dealing with Constitutional interpretation the problem is a little different. What s due process of law? The Constitution doesn t define it. Equal protection under the laws Constitution doesn t define it. And we have to construe and apply clauses like that and there are many of them in the Constitution. As precedent has suggested they be decided, as against the whole background of the formation of the Constitution

Supreme Court library reading room, female clerk walking with book.

Justice Byron White in chambers, writing at desk.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist, wearing hat, gloves, overcoat, walking outside Supreme Court building with young staffer. Rehnquist and aide walking on sidewalk.