March 5, 2004
Blackmun Tapes and Papers Lead Scholars to Debate His Legacy
In the second report on Blackmun's oral history tapes, the justice talks about key decisions during his tenure and some of his colleagues in the court's chambers.

Then, two law professors discuss the importance of the Blackmun files and what they reveal about the Supreme Court.

Part I: Justice Blackmun reflects on the decision process that led to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 abortion decision.

Profile: Justice Harry Blackmun
Justice Harry Blackmun, who served on the Supreme Court for 24 years, was a soft-spoken jurist who played a critical role in some of the modern court's most hotly debated cases.

Q & A: Professor Harold Koh
Harold Koh, recently appointed dean of the Yale Law School, conducted more than 30 hours of oral history with Blackmun. In this Q & A, Koh discusses the process of compiling the history and provides insights on the justice himself.

Extended Interview: Professor Harold Koh
Read the full transcript of Ray Suarez' interview with Yale law professor Harold Koh as he describes working with Blackmun and reflects on the justice's impact on American law.

Snapshot: Key Opinions and Dissents
Justice Blackmun was involved in many influential and interesting legal debates during his time on the high court. In this snapshot, read about some of his most significant and oft-quoted high court opinions and dissents.

NewsHour Transcript: 'Closed Chambers'
David Gergen talks with Edward Lazarus, a former clerk to Blackmun who wrote a controversial book about divisions within the high court, in this 1998 NewsHour interview.

Supreme Court Watch
Full coverage of the latest cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, including background on the nine current justices and a look at the court's history.

The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has made a finding aid for Justice Blackmun's papers available on its Web site as well as digital images of some documents.

NPR Granted Early Access
National Public Radio and The New York Times were granted special early access to Justice Blackmun's papers. NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg presents a series of reports on her findings.

The U.S. Supreme Court
The official Web site of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court Historical Society
A site dedicated to preserving the history of the Supreme Court, including information on all previous and current justices.

The Federal Judiciary
Learn more about the judiciary system in the United States as well as the route most court system cases take before reaching the Supreme Court.