Overview

Throughout his thirty-year tenure on the US Supreme Court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy authored landmark opinions on some of the most contested issues in American society, including abortion, gay rights, and free speech. At the ideological center of a divided Court, Kennedy sided with justice, fairness, and the liberty our Constitution guarantees. Often defying expectations, Anthony Kennedy’s pursuit of equal justice helped him define the law of the land for a generation. His pivotal vote in closely watched 5-4 decisions led Time magazine to call him “The Decider.” The fifteenth-longest-serving Supreme Court Justice in US history, Kennedy crafted headline-making opinions that legalized gay marriage, protected political speech, abolished the death penalty for minors, and, in a nuanced ruling, upheld a woman’s right to choose—decisions that were both celebrated and criticized across political lines. How did this devout Catholic, Reagan appointee to the Court, and conservative in both temperament and politics end up authoring some of the most consequential liberal decisions of our time? To understand Anthony Kennedy is to realize that, for him, judging is independent of politics, preferences, and religious beliefs. It is about a fundamental conviction that neutral principles must drive the decision and an unyielding commitment to the rule of law. Sometimes called a “swing vote,” the term misunderstands Kennedy’s approach. In his own words, “The cases swing, I don’t.” Life, Law, and Liberty serves as a reflection on the role of a judge and the life story—filled with personal heartbreak and incredible accomplishment—of a precocious boy from Sacramento, California, who became the man Chief Justice John Roberts describes as “a special combination of legal acumen, collegiality, and kindness.” The last Justice to be confirmed to the Court unanimously (97–0) by the Senate, Anthony Kennedy serves as a role model for our fractious times, an example of civility, decency, and ethics, and a deeply principled guardian of liberty.

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9781668052747

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Reviews

“Studded with candid reflections and sharp observations."" —Adam Liptak, New York Times

Author Information

Anthony M. Kennedy began his service as a Supreme Court Justice in 1988 and assumed senior status in 2018. Born in Sacramento, California, he received his BA from Stanford University and the London School of Economics, and his LLB from Harvard Law School. Starting in private practice in San Francisco and Sacramento, he was also a professor of constitutional law at the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific. He has served in numerous positions during his career, including as a member of the California Army National Guard, the board of the Federal Judicial Center, and two committees of the Judicial Conference of the United States: the Advisory Committee on Codes of Conduct, and the Committee on Pacific Territories. He was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1975. Between his service on the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, he wrote nearly 1,000 opinions over more than forty years on the federal bench. Justice Kennedy currently lives in Virginia with his wife, Mary, continuing to work on important projects for the Court, and is a proud father and grandfather.

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