The Bork hearings marked the beginning of a trend toward ideological evaluation of Supreme Court judicial nominees. These were the first and last hearings to feature such extensive discussion of legal and constitutional issues, as presidents quickly discovered that a nominee without a lengthy "paper trail" of opinions was more likely to escape the deep probing that Bork underwent.
"This volume beautifully conveys the essence of the confirmation hearing which turned into the most remarkable seminar on constitutional law in the history of the United States Senate. For four days Judge Robert Bork and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee debated fundamental issues of original intent, First Amendment protections, equal protection of the laws, and the validity of Roe v. Wade.