Scholars and journalists are eagerly anticipating the scheduled March 4 release of the papers of the late Justice Harry Blackmun, likely to be an unprecedented treasure trove of inside information about the Supreme Court.
March 4 marks the fifth anniversary of Blackmun's death, the date he designated for full and unrestricted access to his papers housed at the Library of Congress.
An index already available at the library indicates that the collection spans 630 linear feet, with 1,576 boxes containing folders with tantalizing titles such as "Notes exchanged between justices during court proceedings, 1970-1993."
Blackmun's heirs have granted the New York Times (via Linda Greenhouse) and NPR (via Nina Totenberg) exclusive early access to the documents, to the dismay of other news outlets. Details here from Tony Mauro of the Legal Times.