During Supreme Court nominations, many Americans fuss and squabble about the background, ideology, and political persuasions of the nominee in question. But ask any American to name just one Supreme Court Justice, there is a 50/50 chance that they won't be able to it. "The public knows least about the third branch of government," said former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. OurCourts.org, the brainchild of the first female Supreme Court Justice, is looking to change that dismal situation.

The website is dedicated to teaching Americans the basics of how and what the Judiciary does every single day. And there is every reason to believe it will achieve this goal. The site is easily navigable and includes numerous interesting and accessible educational tools for both teachers and students. The teacher's section is thorough and includes a variety of unique and pedagogically progressive lesson plans and activities geared towards teaching students about the Constitution and the three branches of government.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the website is the Games section which includes two interactive educational computer games meant to teach students about law and the Judiciary. "Do I Have a Right," is a game based on the Bill of Rights. The student plays as a partner in a law firm dealing with a slew of Constitutional cases involving the Bill of Rights. The players interact with clients, hire new lawyers, and make various other in-game legal and administrative decisions, all the while learning about the depth and breadth of the Bill of Rights.

The site’s real treat is the "Supreme Decision" game, which puts students in the role of a clerk to a Supreme Court Justice. As it happens, the player's Justice is the "swing vote" on a culturally and legally interesting First Amendment issue before the fictional High Court. Without giving away the plot of the game, it suffices to say that the player is given the opportunity to see and interact in a simplified, yet surprisingly accurate, simulation of what the Supreme Court does and how the Justices and the Court come to their decisions.

The games contain simple animation, quirky music, and educational storylines. Obviously children won't drop their Halo or World of Warcraft habit in order to play the Our Courts games; however, students will surely appreciate replacing a blackboard Civics lecture with these simulated worlds of legal choices and judicial interaction.

Although the website and games were created for educating young children, the adult population of America could benefit just as much from perusing this site. The games are refreshingly non-partisan and prove the lie to the theory that Supreme Court decisions are simply "politics as usual." The lessons on individual rights are not overly complex, but they perfectly highlight the subtlety and genius contained in the Constitution and Court decisions. Any adult who has ever said, "It's my right," can benefit from a 10 to 20 minute visit to the Our Courts website.

Justice O'Connor changed the course of history when she became the first woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court. She served honorably on the Court for over 20 years, and in that time was the crucial vote on dozens of paradigm changing decisions. Now Justice O'Connor is hoping that through the Our Courts website, she can once again make a positive contribution to the future of the United States. It goes without saying that everyone hopes she succeeds.