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Linda Greenhouse: How the Supreme Court Lost the American Public

This resource guide was developed for the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics Defending Democracy Distinguished Speaker Series.

New York Times Contributions

Since the late 1960s, Linda Greenhouse has covered the U.S. Supreme Court—and Constitutional issues generally—for the New York Times. Over 2,500 of her news reports, features, and op-eds can be accessed in the online archives of the Times or in news databases accessible to the UO community like Gale OneFile. UO students, faculty, and staff have access to the NYtimes.com and NYT mobile apps. To get started with your subscription, follow this guide on accessing the New York Times online.

 

Collectively, Greenhouse's coverage chronicles the history, justices, and jurisprudence of the Burger, Rehnquist, and Roberts Courts. Greenhouse's career at the Times spanned not just the most important Court decisions of the last 50 years, but historic moments like the confirmations of the first woman Justices of the Court (Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg), the failed nomination of Regan appointee Robert Bork, and Anita Hill's courageous appearances at the confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas.

 

In particular, Greenhouse has extensively covered the question of reproductive rights and the Constitution. This includes landmark coverage of the issue prior to the Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, the upholding of of Roe by Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, and the state of the issue (and of the Court itself) in the wake of Roe's reversal by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

 

Greenhouse has also covered landmark decisions affecting LGBTQ+ rights, the Second Amendment, religious freedom, the War on Terror, and the results of the 2000 presidential election. A sampling of her coverage, along with the relevant Court decisions, follows bellow.

Abortion Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Second Amendment

Religious Freedom

War on Terror

2000 Election

Notable Confirmation Hearings