The Supreme Court: Ten O’Clock Scholars

The new session of the U.S. Supreme Court began last week with the court crier’s customary call, “Oyez, oyez, oyez.” But right after that, Chief Justice Earl Warren leaned forward, half-smiled, and shattered an old tradition. Henceforth, he announced, the court will meet at 10 a.m. each Monday through Thursday instead of at noon. Reason: to speed up the work of the court, which this fall has 1,063 cases already on the docket—a record for the opening of a session.