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What Font Does the Supreme Court Use?

Published in Legal Typography 2 mins read

The Supreme Court primarily uses the Century font for its official documents. This choice aligns with best practices in legal typography, favoring readability and clarity.

The Supreme Court's Typographic Preference

The U.S. Supreme Court, along with the Solicitor General, commonly employs the Century typeface. This preference is rooted in its characteristics, which make it highly suitable for extensive legal texts.

Why Century Font for Legal Documents?

The Century font family, particularly variations like Century Schoolbook, is renowned for its legibility. Its design features contribute to a comfortable reading experience, which is crucial for lengthy and complex legal opinions and briefs. Key reasons for its suitability include:

  • Readability: Century fonts are designed with clear letterforms and appropriate spacing, minimizing eye strain over long periods.
  • Proportional Spacing: As a proportionally spaced serif face, it uses varying widths for different characters, resulting in a more natural and balanced appearance than monospaced fonts.
  • Professional Appearance: It conveys a classic, authoritative, and professional look, befitting the formal nature of court documents.

Recommended Fonts for Legal Work

Beyond Century, professional typographers often recommend other proportionally spaced serif faces for legal documents, particularly those with "book" in their name, which suggests they are optimized for long-form reading. These fonts share characteristics that make them ideal for the rigorous demands of legal text.

Here's a list of commonly recommended fonts for legal work:

Font Name Type Key Characteristics
Century Serif Classic, highly readable, used by Supreme Court
New Baskerville Serif Elegant, clear, excellent for body text
Book Antiqua Serif Clean, balanced, good for both print and screen
Calisto Serif Distinctive, legible, suitable for formal documents
Century Schoolbook Serif Specifically designed for readability in educational materials, hence good for legal texts
Bookman Old Style Serif Sturdy, open, very readable at various sizes

Choosing a font for legal documents is not merely an aesthetic decision; it significantly impacts how easily and effectively information is conveyed and processed. Fonts like Century exemplify the balance between professionalism, tradition, and critical readability needed in the legal field.