ABOUT
Discover how the project reconstructs impactful U.S. Supreme Court opinion announcements using authentic audio recordings and AI video production.
ORIGIN
Following the success of Brown v. Board of Education Revisited in 2024, Professor Jerry Goldman and Professor Timothy Johnson decided to address a fundamental challenge for the modern Court: how to engage younger audiences with the critical decisions that shape our society and institutions when the Court bans cameras in the courtroom.
In 1955, the US Supreme Court began recording audio of its public sessions. However, no photography or videography is allowed in the courtroom. Only the select few in attendance have been able to see the Justices rendering their decisions…until now. When the Justices release their written opinions, they summarize their views for the public in attendance. The Court does not share these recorded sessions on its website. Months later, it delivers copies to the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, MD.
On the Docket celebrates the institution of the U.S. Supreme Court and seeks to engage a new generation of civic-minded citizens with the key jurisprudential questions of our day. Does the President enjoy blanket immunity from criminal prosecution? Can the federal courts universally block Executive Orders? The consequences of these and other Supreme Court decisions directly influence the society and culture in which we live.
The project goal is an accurate, 'deeptruth' visualization of the Justices' majority and dissenting opinions in the most important recent Court decisions. The authentic source audio, spoken by the Justices, helps ensure historical accuracy and integrity in our re-creations of these significant events. We hope this fosters a deeper public understanding and appreciation of these pivotal decisions.
PROCESS
To achieve the mission of an empathetic, accurate visualization, the project began with authentic audio recordings stored and hosted by the National Archives. The project team used state-of-the-art AI production techniques to establish and refine a creative workflow that translates audio into high-resolution synthetic video. The result is a full-length video of each majority and dissenting opinion, along with key excerpts optimized for social media distribution.
A visual and interaction design effort created a beautiful, easy-to-understand user interface for delivering videos. In the pursuit of transparency, special effort was made to label synthetic media.
THE FOUNDATION
In 2025, Goldman took a test drive of the Apple Vision Pro and was transformed by the experience. He realized that it was now possible to create a full immersive, interactive Supreme Court. What was once considered science fiction now seems possible, thanks to rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
Working with the imaginative and talented teams at Spooler.fm and Idib Group, and collaborating with fellow political scientist Tim Johnson, Goldman sees the moon-shot of a virtual Supreme Court just beyond the horizon.
On the Docket is funded by the On the Docket Foundation, an Illinois-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Jerry Goldman serves as the Foundation's President and CFO. The Foundation's mission is to expand public access to the U.S. Supreme Court through innovative digital platforms.
2420 Isabella St, Evanston IL 60201
TEAM
Jerry Goldman (Primary Lead, On the Docket Project)
Professor Jerry Goldman developed the OYEZ Project, a multimedia relational database devoted to the United States Supreme Court. With major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and Google, Goldman worked with Johnson and others to create a complete archive of the Court's public sessions stretching back to October 1955.
This amounts to a public searchable database of more than 10,000 hours of audio, 100+ million words, with all speakers identified. The Project is now located at Cornell Law School and distributed as a public service by Justia.com The OYEZ website gets more than 12 million visits a year. Professor Goldman originated the Brown Revisited project.
Goldman is the President and CFO of the On the Docket Foundation, an Illinois-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Foundation provides funding for On the Docket, supporting its mission to expand public access to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Visit Website→Timothy R. Johnson (Academic Lead, University of Minnesota)
Timothy R. Johnson is the Horace T. Morse Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science and Law (by courtesy) at the University of Minnesota and a leading scholar of the U.S. Supreme Court, specializing in oral arguments and judicial decision-making.
Visit Website→Spooler
Spooler leads the media production of On the Docket. A creative A.I. platform, Spooler enables immersive experiences, casual games, and personalized information for users when and where they go. Spooler's technology is always informed and infused with empathy and human-led creative storytelling. Spooler produced On the Docket, providing creative services and project management. Spooler Lead Video Engineer Scott Simpson was instrumental to the project.
Visit Website→Idib Group
Idib Group is a boutique digital strategy and design agency founded by Francesco Stagno d'Alcontres in the United States, with offices in Sicily, Italy. For over 20 years, the agency has helped organizations bridge the gap between complex ideas and the people they need to reach, through research-driven strategy, digital design, and storytelling. For On the Docket, Idib developed the overall experience strategy, visual identity, web design, and social media distribution approach. The agency previously played a pivotal role in "Brown Revisited," conducting extensive research, developing interaction and motion designs, creating the design system and style guide, and contributing to the photo restoration process.
Visit Website→