The Bobbleheads of the Supreme Court will forever live in Infamy, some literally

December 31, 2013

This limited collection of U.S. Supreme Court justice dolls are some of the rarest bobbleheads in the world, the Associated Press reports.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

They are the work of law professor Ross Davies, who spent about 10 years creating them. When finished, they will arrive unexpectedly on each of the real justices’ desks.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The idea for the bobbleheads apparently came to Davies when he was in the shower a decade ago.

The dolls have have intricate nods to each Supreme Court member. For example, the David Souter bobblehead plays a “Modest Mouse” song, a band he mentioned in a copyright case.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The Ruth Bader Ginsburg doll, pictured above, stands on a replica of the Virginia Military Institute’s parade ground, referencing a 1996 opinion she wrote striking down the school’s sexist admissions policy.

The justices themeselves are fans of their wobbling counterparts. From the AP:

Antonin Scalia once said in an interview that he understands his is the most popular. Stephen Breyer had four of the figures of his colleagues on display in his chambers during a 2009 C-Span interview. His own is currently in the works. And former Chief Justice William Rehnquist sent a thank-you note for his, which was the first to come out in 2003.

“Thank you for the ‘bobble-head’ likeness of me which now sits on the mantle of the fireplace in my chambers,” Rehnquist wrote. “It is probably a better likeness of me as I was 15 years ago than as I am now, but obviously I won’t complain.”

The bobbleheads are being given away for free, not sold. Subscribers to the quarterly legal journal “The Green Bag” get a voucher to claim a bobblehead when they are released, but there’s no guarantee.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Good luck getting one, Supreme Court fans! They are pretty great.

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