Lyle Denniston

Lyle Denniston
Denniston at the Supreme Court Preview at William & Mary Law School in October 2009
Born	(1931-03-16) March 16, 1931 (age 93) Nebraska City, Nebraska, U.S.
Education	University of Nebraska– Lincoln (BA) Georgetown University (MA)
Occupation	Journalist
Known for	Coverage of the United States Supreme Court

Lyle Denniston (born March 16, 1931)^[1] is an American journalist, professor, and author who has reported on the Supreme Court of the United States since 1958.^[2][3] He wrote for SCOTUSblog, an online blog featuring news and analysis of the Supreme Court, until June 2016,^[4] after previously having written for multiple national newspapers and legal periodicals. His commentary is also featured on the National Public Radio show Here and Now.^[5] In addition, he has contributed to numerous books and journals, and is the author of "The Reporter and the Law: Techniques for Covering the Courts."^[6] Denniston has taught classes on law, journalism, and American constitutional history at American University, Georgetown University, Penn State University, and Johns Hopkins University.^[7]

Biography

Lyle Denniston was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and later earned a master's degree in political science and history from Georgetown University. While knowledgeable in legal affairs, Denniston is not a lawyer, though he taught at the Georgetown University Law Center for eight years.^[8] As a journalist he started covering the Supreme Court for the Wall Street Journal in 1958^[8] during the Warren Court era, and later wrote for the Boston Globe, The Baltimore Sun, The American Lawyer, and the Washington Star.^[9] He joined SCOTUSblog in February 2004, and retired in June 2016–58 years after he first started covering the Supreme Court.^[4]

Because of his long-standing coverage of the Court, he has been referred to as the "Dean Emeritus of the Supreme Court Press Corps," and enjoys the singular distinction of being the only person to have earned a plaque in the Supreme Court press room.^[9]

Awards

• American Judicature Society's Toni House Journalism Award ^[10]
• Member of the Hall of Fame of the Society of Professional Journalists^[6]
• Outstanding News-Editorial Alumnus Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.^[7]

References

1. @lyden (March 15, 2016). "Thanks to all for birthday wishes. Tomorrow, 85 and counting!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
2. S. L. Alexander (2004). Media and American Courts: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-1-57607-979-9.
3. McCarthy, Tom (May 22, 2014). "Scotusblog loss of Senate press credentials fuels media uproar". The Guardian. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
4. Denniston, Lyle (June 25, 2016). "One journey over, the quest continues". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
5. "Justice Talking". Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
6. "Nieman Watchdog > About Us > Contributor > Lyle Denniston". www.niemanwatchdog.org.
7. "UNL News Releases 03/28/01". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
8. "Q&A with Lyle Denniston". C-SPAN. March 8, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
9. Mataconis, Doug (June 26, 2016). "Lyle Denniston Leaving SCOTUSBlog". Outside the Beltway. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
10. "Chicago Tribune Team Wins Toni House Journalism Award -- re> DES MOINES, Iowa, June 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.

External links

• scotusblog.com
• lyldenlawnews.com
• Appearances on C-SPAN
  • C-SPAN Q&A interview with Denniston, March 18, 2007