{{short description|United States Supreme Court practice}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}} [[File:SCOTUS Marriage Equality 2015 58094 (19184861095).jpg|thumb|420px|Runners carrying the Supreme Court's ''Obergefell v. Hodges'' decision on marriage equality (2015)]] The '''running of the interns''' was a Washington, DC, tradition, sometimes called a race,<ref name="CBS 2016" /> involving interns of news outlets running to deliver results of major decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States to the press.<ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine |last1 = Greenberg |first1 = Julia |title = Why Supreme Court Interns Still Sprint to Deliver News |url = https://www.wired.com/2015/06/instant-news-era-interns-scotus-still-sprint/ |magazine = Wired |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref><ref name="ABC 2015">{{cite web |last1 = Dooley |first1 = Erin |title = Running of the Interns: This Is What a Mad Dash Outside the Supreme Court Looks Like |url = https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/running-interns-mad-dash-supreme-court/story?id=32024853 |publisher = ABC News |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref> Many media outlets have made note of this, including ''BuzzFeed'', ''Newsweek,'' NPR, and ''Cosmopolitan''.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Johnson |first1 = Benny |title = The 2013 Running Of The Interns |url = https://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/the-2013-running-of-the-interns |work = BuzzFeed |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1 = Gorman |first1 = Michele |title = Photos: The Running of the Supreme Court Interns |url = http://www.newsweek.com/photos-running-supreme-court-interns-346919 |work = Newsweek |date = June 27, 2015 |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1 = Breslaw |first1 = Anna |title = Wendy Davis' Working Girl Sneaker Is Sweeping the Nation |url = http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a13652/working-girl-sneaker-wendy-davis/ |work = Cosmopolitan |date = June 26, 2013 |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1 = Hensley |first1 = Scott |title = Supreme Court Health Care Ruling Prompts Foot Race In Press Corps |website = NPR |date = June 29, 2012 |url = https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/06/29/155972981/supreme-court-health-care-ruling-prompts-foot-race-in-press-corps |publisher = NPR |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref>

In recent years, the Supreme Court has released PDF opinions on {{url|supremecourt.gov}} around the same time as the majority opinion is announced from the bench. For instance, in the ''SCOTUSblog'' live coverage of opinion announcements of 10:00 a.m. ET on June 26, 2018, news that Justice Thomas was announcing the decision in ''National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra'' was posted at 10:01, followed by a link to the official PDF at 10:02,<ref>{{cite web | title=Live blog of opinions | date=June 26, 2018 | url=http://live.scotusblog.com/Event/Live_blog_of_opinions__June_26_2018?Page=2 | website=SCOTUSblog | access-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref> during Thomas's opinion announcement, which lasted about five minutes.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra: Opinion Announcement – June 26, 2018|url=https://apps.oyez.org/player/#/roberts8/opinion_announcement_audio/24701 |website=Oyez Project |access-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref> In contrast, for ''Obergefell v. Hodges'' in 2015, those times were 10:01 (announcement) and 10:05 (PDF),<ref>{{cite web | title=Live blog of opinions | date=June 26, 2015 | url=https://www.scotusblog.com/2015/06/live-blog-of-opinions-16/ | website=SCOTUSblog | access-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref> with interns delivering paper copies at 10:01.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=8cy82LuQjms |title=SCOTUS Rules In Favor Of Marriage Equality |publisher=MSNBC |website=YouTube |date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref> From March 2020 to June 2022, opinions were released exclusively online.<ref>{{cite web |title=Court will resume opinion announcements from the bench, but won't provide live audio |url=https://www.scotusblog.com/2022/12/court-will-resume-opinion-announcements-from-the-bench-but-wont-provide-live-audio/ |author=Amy Howe |date=December 12, 2022 |website=SCOTUSblog |access-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref>

==History== Since 1946, recording devices have been banned inside the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court Building.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Kessler |first1 = Robert |title = Why Aren't Cameras Allowed at the Supreme Court Again? |url = https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/03/case-allowing-cameras-supreme-court-proceedings/316876/ |work = The Atlantic |date = March 28, 2013 |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref> Thus, hand-delivered paper copies were the fastest way for news organizations to receive a particular landmark ruling.

The Supreme Court's decision is printed and delivered to a clerk's office, where it is handed to members of the press. Interns are not credentialed and must therefore wait in the hallway outside the press room.<ref name="CBS 2016" /> Producers hand the paper copy rulings to their network interns who sprint to deliver them to their respective organizations. The run itself is approximately {{convert|1/8|-|1/4|mi|m}}, from the courtroom to broadcasters waiting outside.<ref name="IJR 2016">{{cite web |last1 = Johnson |first1 = Benny |title = The 2016 Running of the Interns |url = http://ijr.com/2016/06/637664-the-2016-running-of-the-interns/ |work = Independent Journal Review |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref> Supporters and protestors alike cheer on the delivery of the opinions.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Pilkington |first1 = Caitlyn |title = What Is The Running Of The Interns? |url = http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2015/06/news/what-is-the-running-of-the-interns_42839#y1KFlr2YhEtbiVqJ.97 |work = Women's Running |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref> According to one intern, justices may still be announcing the decision by the time they are back inside.<ref name="Wired" />

The interns often run wearing sneakers and business casual suits or skirts in {{convert|90|°F|°C}} heat.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Stebner |first1 = Beth |title = Running of the Interns: News assistants pictured making mad dash to deliver DOMA decision |url = http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/news-interns-mad-dash-supreme-court-article-1.1383442 |work = Daily News |location = New York |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref>

In 2015, the interns were briefly removed after a CNN intern was caught by Supreme Court Police recording video footage with a GoPro camera.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Byers |first1 = Dylan |title = CNN's GoPro antics rile Supreme Court |url = https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/06/cnns-gopro-antics-rile-supreme-court-209283 |work = Politico |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref>

In 2016, interns relayed 13 decisions over three mornings.<ref name="CBS 2016" />

==Notable decision coverage== * ''Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt''<ref name="IJR 2016" /> * ''King v. Burwell''<ref name="ABC 2015" /> * ''Obergefell v. Hodges''<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Le Conte |first1 = Marie |title = The 'Running of the Interns' is the weirdest and funniest tradition you've never heard of |url = http://metro.co.uk/2015/06/27/the-running-of-the-interns-is-the-weirdest-and-funniest-tradition-youve-never-heard-of-5268686/ |work = metro.co.uk |date = June 27, 2015 |access-date = March 24, 2017 }}</ref> *''McDonnell v. United States''<ref name="CBS 2016">{{cite web |last1=Briker |first1=Greg |date=2016-06-27 |title=The 2016 running of the interns |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-running-of-the-interns-2016/ |access-date=March 24, 2017 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

Category:Supreme Court of the United States Category:Mass media in Washington, D.C. Category:Culture of Washington, D.C.