Celebrating Justice Brennan
About Justice Brennan
Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. is universally regarded as one
of the most influential and liberal justices of the second half of the
20th century. His 34 years on the U.S. Supreme Court was one of the
Court's longest tenures, spanning eight presidencies and 17 Congresses.
During that time he served with 22 justices, wrote 461 majority
opinions, 425 dissents, and 474 other opinions. Brennan's legacy was so
powerful and far-reaching that even those who disagreed with his
opinions still recognized his singular influence. According to the
conservative National Review in 1984, "there is no individual in this
country, on or off the Court, who has had a more profound and sustained
impact upon public policy in the United States."
Born in 1906 to
Irish immigrants, Brennan grew up as witness to the economic hardships
and indignities of those in his hometown. "What got me interested in
people's rights and liberties," Brennan would later recall, "was the
kind of neighborhood I was brought up in. I saw all kinds of suffering
- people had to struggle."
Despite his humble beginnings,
Brennan excelled academically. He completed his law degree at Harvard
and entered private practice in his home state of New Jersey. But when
his practice intruded on his devotion to his family, Brennan opted for
service as a trial judge. He was promoted to the state's highest court
in 1952 and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1956 by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Justice Brennan's devotion to core
democratic freedoms was unwavering. He authored important opinions in
the areas of free expression, criminal procedure, and reapportionment.
As a result of his leadership, Brennan imparted his constitutional
vision to a broad coalition of his colleagues. He resigned on account
of health in 1990.
Leading Brennan Decisions
Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
NAACP v. Button, 371 U.S. 415 (1963)
Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964)
Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
Green v County School Board, 391 U.S. 430 (1968)
Shapiro v. Thompson, 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
Frontiero v. Richardson, 411 U.S. 677 (1973)
Thornburgh v. Gingles, 478 U.S. 30 (1986)
Communications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 (1988)
United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990)
Quotations
On the Constitution
On Judging
On Freedom of Speech
On Justice for the Poor
Memorials
Memorial Resolution of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
Eulogy, by Justice David H. Souter
Articles About Justice Brennan
Brennan: An American Hero, Washington Post, July 29, 1997
A Man in Close Touch With People as Well as With History
, The New York Times, July 22, 1990
A Life on the Court, The New York Times Magazine, October 5, 1986