Welcome to The Marble Palace Blog. I am Tony Mauro, and have covered the Supreme Court since 1979, and for ALM since 2000. I retired in 2019, but in 2021, I launched the blog, focusing on the court's history and mysteries, its quirks and its clerks, among other topics. I welcome tips and comments at [email protected].

In 2014's annual Year-End Report, Chief Justice John Roberts waxed eloquent about the animal sculptures that adorn the U.S. Supreme Court building. In the east pediment of the court, Roberts noted, "A hare on one side sprints in full extension for the finish line, while a tortoise on the other slowly plods along."