NOW and the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States plays an important role in protecting and preserving our civil rights, most especially when the rights of a minority are threatened. Over our country's history, the Supreme Court's decisions have often served to protect civil rights and liberties by interpreting existing laws and mandating their enforcement or by nullifying laws it deems unconstitutional. Just two examples of the powerful role of the court are the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision in which the court deemed school segregation unconstitutional and Roe v. Wade (1973), which recognized a woman's right to abortion. Just as the court has expanded rights, it also has, at times, imposed restrictions on them. The court's impact changes with its composition, which is why NOW pays such close attention to nominations to the bench.

Learn more below:

• Recent Court Decisions
• Composition of the Court

See also: Judicial Nominees Special Report (about lower court nominees)

Recent Decisions

• School Integration Decision Predictable for Right-Leaning Supreme Court (06/28/07)
• Supreme Court Takes Another Swing at Women's Rights and Decks Home Health Care Workers (06/27/07)
• Supreme Court Moves Backward on Equal Pay (5/30/07)
• Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Procedure Ban (4/18/07)
• Supreme Court Ends Protection Against Abortion Clinic Violence (2/28/07)
• Supreme Court Reconsiders Ban on Abortion Procedures (2/21/07)
• NOW Rallies to Save Affirmative Action (Winter 2007)
• NOW Joins March and Rally at the Supreme Court to Protect Diversity in Public Schools (12/1/06)
• Supreme Court to Hear School Segregation Cases (11/29/06)
• Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Bush-Endorsed Abortion Procedures Ban (11/07/06)
• High Court Overturns Injunction that Curbed Clinic Violence (Summer 2006)
• NOW Fights Clinic Violence in Cases Before Supreme Court (12/7/05)
• Supreme Court Cases Impact Access to Abortion Services (11/30/05)
• NOW to Argue Two Key Abortion Cases Before Supreme Court on Nov. 30 (11/28/05)
• Supreme Court Hears Key Abortion Cases, Scheidler v. NOW and Operation Rescue v. NOW on Nov. 30 (11/25/05)
• Supreme Court Leaves Women More Vulnerable to Domestic Violence (6/28/05)
• NOW v. Scheidler Heads Back to the Supreme Court for Further Review (6/28/05)
• Landmark Case Protected Women's Right to Birth Control (6/7/05)
• Feminist Leaders Commemorate First Anniversary of Landmark Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling (6/34/04)
• Supreme Court Rules on Landmark Cases (Fall 2003)
• Supreme Court Recognizes Benefits of Diversity In Split Decision Favoring Affirmative Action (6/23/03)
• NOW Rallies at Supreme Court to Support Affirmative Action (4/1/03)
• Supreme Court Agrees to Review University Affirmative Action Programs (12/6/02)
• Supreme Court Hears NOW v. Scheidler (12/4/02)
• All Eyes on NOW v. Scheidler: First Monday Marks Key Supreme Court Term for Abortion Rights (10/04/02)
• Disability Victory Hinged on 5-4 Supreme Court Balance (5/20/04)
• NOW Applauds Supreme Court Refusal to Hear First Amendment Challenge in NOW v. Scheidler, Urges Court to Uphold Landmark Injunction (4/22/02)
• Supreme Court Shows Vulnerability with Close Decisions (Summer 2000)
• Supreme Court Shatters All-Male Bastions (Fall 1996)
• Supreme Court Victory Protects Lesbian / Gay Rights (Fall 1996)
• Statement of NOW National Secretary Karen Johnson: Supreme Court Should Halt VMI's Discrimination Against Women (1/17/96)
• Court Urged to Just Say NO to Colorado's Amendment (August 1995)

Composition of the Court

Justices of the Supreme Court (1/30/06)

NOW's Work on Alito:

• Samuel Alito Confirmed -- Let Your Senators Know What You Think (2/1/06)
• NOW President Calls Cloture Vote the Only Alito Vote that Counts (1/30/06)
• Congress Votes: Cloture Motion on Debate About Alito's Confirmation (1/30/06)
• Congress Votes: On Confirmation of Sam Alito (1/30/06)
• Support the Filibuster - Defeat Alito (1/27/06)
• "Filibuster is Last Hope for Opponents of Alito" - Radio Interview with Kim Gandy (audio available) (1/27/06)
• NOW Applauds Kerry and Kennedy for Leading Filibuster, Calls on Women's Rights Supporters in Senate to Join Effort (1/27/06)
• News Articles on the Alito Nomination (1/26/06)
• After Judiciary Committee Vote, NOW Renews Call for Filibuster (1/24/06)
• Organizations Opposed to Samuel Alito's Confirmation (1/23/06)
• NOW Urges Senate Filibuster of Alito Nomination (1/19/06)
• Alito Must Not Be Confirmed - Demand a Filibuster Today (1/17/06)
• Testimony of the National Organization for Women on the Nomination of Samuel Alito (1/18/06)
• Women's Rights Supporters Plan Full Court Press, Demand that Senators Reject Alito Nomination (1/13/06)
• Your Call Can Help Block the Confirmation of Samuel Alito: Call Your Senators Today (1/10/06)
• Sam Alito's Track Record Threatens Women's Rights (1/06)
• Samuel Alito: Wrong Judge for U.S. Women (1/8/06)
• Women's Rights Groups Announce Joint Campaign to Block Alito (1/5/06)
• Women's Groups Launch Historic Effort to Block Alito (1/4/06)
• Take Action to Defeat Alito (12/22/05)
• Alito Nomination Sparks Supreme Court Battle (Winter 05-06)
• NOW sent another letter to Senators about opposing Alito (PDF) (12/13/05)
• Send the "No on Alito" Message to Your Senators - Download Postcards (12/05)
• What You Can Do To Make A Difference (12/05)
• Download a flier about what rights are at stake (12/05)
• Enraged & Engaged: Women's Campaign to Defeat Alito (12/05)
• NOW sent a letter to all Senators urging them to oppose Alito (PDF) (11/15/05)
• Documents Reveal Alito is Wrong Choice for Supreme Court (11/14/05)
• Brief Bio of Sam Alito (11/05)
• NOW Leaders Meet Face-to-Face with Senators, Urge Them to Vote "NO" On Alito (11/05)
• NOW to Activate Members Nationwide to Oppose Alito for Supreme Court (10/31/05)
• NOW Urges O'Connor to Remain on Court (10/27/05)
• The Nomination Process: The Senate (9/10/05)
• Rehnquist Vacancy Creates Double Jeopardy for Women (9/3/05)
• O'Connor Resignation Leaves Court's Balance in Question (7/1/05)
• Close Calls: Recent Landmark Rulings Reached on a 5-4 Split (7/1/05)
• In Remembrance: Women Who Died from Illegal and Unsafe Abortions (7/26/05)

NOW's Work on Roberts:

• Tell Your Senators What You Thought of Their Vote on Roberts (9/29/05)
• Activists Take to Streets to Oppose Roberts Nomination (Winter 05-06)
• Take Action: O'Connor Must Stay On (10/27/05)
• Miers Nomination Raises Important Questions for Women (10/3/05)
• Below the Belt: No Laughing Matter (10/14/05)
• Women and History will Harshly Judge Votes for John Roberts (9/22/05)
• Read a Young Feminist Blog on the Hearings (9/16/05)
• Young Feminist "No on Roberts" Week of Action 9/12/05 - 9/16/05
• Letter from NOW to Senators (pdf) (9/15/05)
• Week of Action Planned to Oppose John Roberts (9/9/5)
• Talking Points on NOW's Opposition to John G. Roberts' Nomination (9/5/05)
• Nomination of John Roberts as Chief Justice is an Outrage to Women (9/5/05)
• John G. Roberts: In His Own Words (9/5/05)
• Appointing the Leader: Why the Chief Justice is So Important (9/4/05)
• NOW Activists Pulling Out the Stops to Stop Roberts (9/1/05)
• Further Reading on the Roberts Nomination (8/31/05)
• Roberts' Dismissive View of Pay Equity (8/19/05)
• NOW Requests to Testify at Roberts' Confirmation Hearings (8/17/05)
• Profile of John Roberts (8/1/05)
• What the Right Wing Has to Say About Roberts (8/1/05)
• NOW Vows to Fight Extremist Court Nominee (7/19/05)
• Maintain O'Connor's Legacy: Nominate a Woman for Women's Rights (7/13/05)

The Future of the Supreme Court (11/8/04)