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Full-Text Articles in Law
Thurgood Marshall: The Lawyer As Judge, Bennett L. Gershman
Thurgood Marshall: The Lawyer As Judge, Bennett L. Gershman
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
When Thurgood Marshall took the Oath in 1967, it was the twilight of one of the Court's most brilliant periods: the Warren Court's revolution of criminal and racial justice. He was a part of that alliance for two Terms. When a new Court, and new alliances, moved the Court into the dark shadows, he and his closest colleague, William Brennan, Jr., held staunchly to their vision of the Court's historic function “to be watchful for the constitutional rights of the citizen, and against any stealthy encroachment thereon.” He remained faithful to that vision to the end when, as a lone …
Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. - The Moral Force Of His Language, Bennett L. Gershman
Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. - The Moral Force Of His Language, Bennett L. Gershman
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The enduring strength of Justice William J. Brennan Jr.'s constitutional vision is a tribute to his extraordinary scholarship and powerful logic. His opinions will be studied, cited, and honored for generations for their immense contribution to the constitutional protection of individual rights. But there is a further dimension to his jurisprudence that has always struck me - the moral force of his language. Justice Brennan's eloquent, passionate, and compassionate prose constantly exhorts us to a higher moral plane. To the disadvantaged, the accused, the dissident, and the condemned, Justice Brennan's words are a timeless anthem of sustenance and hope.