Overview
- Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked employees in November 2024 to sign nondisclosure contracts covering the court’s internal workings, according to reporting.
- The move converted long-standing informal confidentiality norms into formal agreements that people familiar with the policy characterized as more forceful.
- Clerks and support staff signed in 2024, and new hires have continued to sign, though the New York Times has not reviewed the contracts themselves.
- The policy followed unusual leaks, including the draft opinion overturning abortion rights, and reporting on ethical lapses involving justices.
- Legal scholars and a former clerk criticized the shift as reflecting institutional weakness, while Gallup surveys in 2025 showed court approval around 39%–42%.