Throughout its history, the Supreme Court of the United States has allowed members of the press access to oral arguments and decision releases in its courtroom. However, it took nearly eighty years to formally codify a process by which members of the press were officially credentialed to cover the Court, a pass giving them access to the courtroom beyond the bar, access to walk the halls freely, to work in dedicated space in the building, and access to the justices themselves. This article traces the history of the press credentialing from the day the justices moved into the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., in 1935 to the unprecedented public access granted to oral arguments due to the social distancing required by the COVID19 virus in the spring of 2020. It is meant to fortify the historical record to ensure that the Court remains as open and accessible as possible to reporters because they act as emissaries of the public. The Court’s decisions affect all aspects of life for citizens, and therefore public knowledge of the Court’s work is essential to a strong democracy. Press access is key to that understanding.

纵观其历史，美国最高法院一直允许新闻界成员在其法庭上获得口头辩论和决定发布。然而，将近八十年的时间才正式编纂了一个程序，通过该程序，新闻界成员获得正式认证以报道法院，通行证使他们可以进入酒吧外的法庭，可以自由地在大厅里走动，在专用空间工作在大楼里，并接触到法官本身。这篇文章追溯了从 1935 年大法官搬进华盛顿特区最高法院大楼的那一天起，到由于 COVID19 病毒在 20 2020。它旨在巩固历史记录，以确保法院对记者尽可能保持开放和可访问性，因为他们充当公众的使者。法院的裁决影响公民生活的方方面面，因此公众了解法院的工作对于强大的民主至关重要。媒体访问是这种理解的关键。