The Making of a Justice, Justice John Paul Stevens
The Making of a Justice, Justice John Paul Stevens
List: $38.99 | Sale: $27.30
Club: $19.49

The Making of a Justice
Reflections on My First 94 Years

Author: Justice John Paul Stevens

Narrator: Justice John Paul Stevens, Robert Petkoff

Unabridged: 18 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/14/2019

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

A "timely and hugely important" memoir of Justice John Paul Stevens's life on the Supreme Court (New York Times).
When Justice John Paul Stevens retired from the Supreme Court of the United States in 2010, he left a legacy of service unequaled in the history of the Court. During his thirty-four-year tenure, Justice Stevens was a prolific writer, authoring more than 1000 opinions. In The Making of a Justice, he recounts his extraordinary life, offering an intimate and illuminating account of his service on the nation's highest court.
Appointed by President Gerald Ford and eventually retiring during President Obama's first term, Justice Stevens has been witness to, and an integral part of, landmark changes in American society during some of the most important Supreme Court decisions over the last four decades. With stories of growing up in Chicago, his work as a naval traffic analyst at Pearl Harbor during World War II, and his early days in private practice, The Making of a Justice is a warm and fascinating account of Justice Stevens's unique and transformative American life.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Trish on July 03, 2019

Justice John Paul Stevens appears to me to be one of those old-timey conservatives, the kind whose judgment I may not agree with but whose opinions I can respect. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen such clear thinking on the part of anyone who calls themselves Republican. Stevens served on the Supreme......more

Goodreads review by Jean on July 07, 2019

John Paul Stevens (1920---) was appointed to the Supreme Court by Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006) in 1975. In his many years on the Court, Justice Stevens transcended the party ideology to work on issues with all the Justices. Justice Stevens tells of his early life, but the majority of the book is about......more

Goodreads review by Ms.pegasus on July 28, 2019

The late Justice John Paul Stevens, for all his scholarly gravity, had a subtle wit. In Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 2000 he rebutted the school district's claim that prayer preceding all of its football games “solemnized” the event. He noted: “Apart from the pre-game ceremony itsel......more

Goodreads review by sarah on January 11, 2021

so many supreme court cases :/......more

Goodreads review by Sue on August 21, 2019

This book has pluses and minuses. In no particular order of importance, my thoughts ..... 1) I was disappointed that he didn’t write more about his family. The first ~third of the book is autobiographical pre-USSC, and it was VERY interesting. But there’s scarce mention of his first wife (they were......more

Quotes

"Stevens delivers...on a handful of timely and hugely important themes, starting with the shape of American democracy...his defense crackles with spirit."—Emily Bazelon, New York Times

"Studded with cameos by boldface names...The new book lays out his philosophy through example, through cases and events that influenced his thinking."—Jess Bravin, Wall Street Journal

"A compelling look back at a fascinating life and career."—Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post

"Provides much food for thought for law students, lawyers and those interested in the legal underpinning of our present national mess."—Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun Times

"The inspiring legacy of Justice John Paul Stevens-including both the brilliance of his mind and the humaneness of his character-are well represented in his last book, The Making of a Justice." —New York Review of Books

"The memoir is a tale of a privileged childhood in Chicago, the ravages of the Great Depression and a family scandal, service as a wartime cryptologist and a charmed legal career as a Supreme Court clerk, appeals court judge and the third-longest-serving justice in the court's history."—Robert Barnes, The Washington Post

"To be 99 years old and still writing, in itself, merits acclaim. And a memoir by Justice John Paul Stevens, whose almost 35-year tenure on the U.S Supreme Court helped spur vast changes in American society, has indisputable historical value."—The Chicago Tribune

"Former Justice John Paul Stevens spent 35 years on the Supreme Court, writing some of its most important decisions. At age 99, he is still writing, including a new memoir, and weighing in on prominent U.S. issues today."—PBS Newshour

As featured in Bustle—Joseph D. Lyons, Bustle

"Stevens' illumination of the court's internal processes, accounts of cases, and often caustic opinions of its results form an important contribution to legal literature."
—Booklist

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List