Justice Brennan

Stern, a Congressional Quarterly reporter, and Wermiel (fellow in law & government, American Univ. Washington Coll. of Law), a former Wall Street Journal reporter, team up to chronicle the career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, who served on the high bench from 1956 to 1990. Working from a repository of newly released documents and interviews with friends, family, colleagues, and Brennan himself, the authors show how he staked a liberal claim in the progressive side of the Warren Court, often invoking civil rights and privacy protections for minorities, women, and the working class. Especially revealing and insightful are revelations about the Court's inner workings, how the justices arrive at their decisions, and the infrequent yet riveting confrontations between Brennan and his conservative counterparts. The book is a historian's guide to the tactics and strategies behind many of the era's battles over the extent of constitutional rights and the legal struggles over such contentious issues as desegregation, affirmative action, school prayer, the death penalty, and abortion.