Supreme Court reform is a topic of interest not just to lawyers and legal scholars, but increasingly to the greater public. Some commentators feel that the Supreme Court has become too partisan, while others worry that the Supreme Court is too powerful. Calls for reforming the Supreme Court are increasingly common. This research guide collects academic scholarship, popular press articles, and historical materials to help you learn more about various Supreme Court reform proposals (including proposals to expand the court, often called "court packing").
This guide contains individual sections devoted to the following reform proposals: (i) court expansion, (ii) term limits, (iii) reducing the power of the Supreme Court, and (iv) merit selection of Supreme Court justices. A final section collects articles that survey multiple reform options or focus on other, more novel proposals.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about this guide, please email the library's reference desk.
Through Executive Order 14023 of April 9, 2021, President Biden commissioned a panel of legal experts to explore and analyze the issue of whether and how the Supreme Court should be reformed.
Recordings and materials from their public meetings can be found below.
A docket compiling various documents and comments related to the Commission can be found below.
The Commission's draft final report can be found below.