The Chief Justices

Scholars use the most advanced methods in judicial studies to examine the role of Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

An incisive biography of the Supreme Court's enigmatic Chief Justice, taking us inside the momentous legal decisions of his tenure so far. John Roberts was named to the Supreme Court in 2005 claiming he would act as a neutral umpire in deciding cases. His critics argue he has been anything but, pointing to his conservative victories on voting rights and campaign finance. Yet he broke from orthodoxy in his decision to preserve Obamacare. How are we to understand the motives of the most powerful judge in the land? In The Chief, award-winning journalist Joan Biskupic contends that Roberts is torn between two, often divergent, priorities: to carry out a conservative agenda, and to protect the Court's image and his place in history. Biskupic shows how Roberts's dual commitments have fostered distrust among his colleagues, with major consequences for the law. Trenchant and authoritative, The Chief reveals the making of a justice and the drama on this nation's highest court.

Since the beginning of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1789, seventeen men have held the Chief Justice position. The First three held the position for a total of eleven years, and the next two (Marshall and Taney) held the Chief Justice position for the next sixty-three years (the two longest chiefs in our history). This book seeks to examine the position of Chief Justice more closely, to describe the position's origins and duties, and explore the court under each of the seventeen chiefs. Exploration includes the background and careers of the chiefs before becoming Chief Justice, discusses the cultural times and puts their rise and tenure in our nation's context, while discussing some of the key associate justices who sat with each of the seventeen. Each chapter also focuses on some key decisions of the Chief Justices' courts.

Earl Warren is rightly remembered not only as one of the great chief justices of the Supreme Court, but as one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century. Warren Court decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda, and Baker v. Carr have given us such famous phrases as "separate is not equal, " "read him his rights, " and "one-man-one-vote" - and have vastly expanded civil rights and personal liberties. A generation later the Warren Court's decisions still define American freedoms. Ed Cray recounts this truly American story in the finest and most comprehensive biography of Earl Warren. He has interviewed nearly all of the Chief's law clerks, four of his children, and more than one hundred others, many of whom recall for the first time their years with Warren. He has read thousands of personal letters and official documents deposited in ten libraries across the country, weaving them into a tale of political intrigue, judicial politics, family reminiscences, and a loving marriage.

The story of South Carolina’s first female Chief Justice, with contributions by Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, legal scholars, family members, and more. As a lawyer, legislator, and judge, Jean Hoefer Toal is one of the most accomplished women in South Carolina history. In this volume, contributors—including two United States Supreme Court Justices, federal and state judges, state leaders, historians, legal scholars, leading attorneys, family, and friends—provide analysis, perspective, and biographical information about the life and career of this dynamic leader and her role in shaping South Carolina. Growing up during the 1950s and ‘60s, Jean Hoefer was a youthful witness to the civil rights movement in the state and nation. Observing the state’s premier civil rights lawyer, Matthew J. Perry Jr., in court encouraged her to attend law school, where she met her husband, Bill Toal. When she was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1968, fewer than one hundred women had been admitted in the state’s history. From then on she was both a leader and a role model. She excelled in trial and appellate work and won major victories on behalf of Native Americans and women. In 1975, she was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, and despite her age and gender quickly became one of the most respected members of that body. During her years in the House, Toal promoted major legislation on issues including constitutional law, criminal law, utilities regulation, local government, state appropriations, workers compensation, and freedom of information. In 1988, she was sworn in as the first female justice on the Supreme Court of South Carolina, and twelve years later she was elected Chief Justice, becoming the first woman ever to hold the highest position in the state’s judiciary. As Chief Justice, Toal modernized not only her court, but also the state’s judicial system. As a child, she loved roller skating in the lobby of the post office—a historic building that now serves as the Supreme Court of South Carolina. From a child in Columbia to Madam Chief Justice, her story comes full circle in this compelling account of her life and influence. Contributors include: Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. * Joan P. Assey * Jay Bender * C. Mitchell Brown * W. Lewis Burke Jr. * M. Elizabeth (Liz) Crum * Tina Cundari * Cameron McGowan Currie * Walter B. Edgar * Jean Toal Eisen * Robert L. Felix * Richard Mark Gergel * Ruth Bader Ginsburg * Elizabeth Van Doren Gray * Sue Erwin Harper * Jessica Childers Harrington * Kaye G. Hearn * Blake Hewitt * I.S. Leevy Johnson * John W. Kittredge * Lilla Toal Mandsager * Mary Campbell McQueen * James E. Moore * Sandra Day O’Connor * Richard W. Riley * Bakari T. Sellers * Robert J. Sheheen * Amelia Waring Walker * Bradish J. Waring

This publication is the latest in a series of steps to assist judges in carrying out their onerous responsibilities, and represents a concise yet comprehensive set of principles addressing the many difficult ethical issues that confront judges as they work and live in their communities. It also provides a sound basis to promote a more complete understanding of the role of the judge in society and of the ethical dilemmas they so often encounter. Sections of the publication cover the following: the purpose of the publication; judicial independence; integrity; diligence; equality; and impartiality, including judicial demeanour, civic and charitable activity, political activity, and conflicts of interest.

The Federal Court of Appeal and Federal Court are unique among Canada's courts because they are itinerant -- they hear cases in all parts of Canada -- as well as being bilingual and bijural. This book was prepared for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Federal Courts in 2021. Seventy-eight current and retired judges and prothonotaries on the two courts were interviewed and are referred to throughout the book. The authors present a brief history of these courts and their predecessor -- the Exchequer Court of Canada -- and an overview of the courts' jurisdiction, decision-making trends, and unique attributes. There are chapters on each of the courts' specialties -- administrative law, immigration and refugee law, intellectual property, security and intelligence, Indigenous issues, the environment, admiralty, labour and human rights, and tax. Chief Justice Noël and Chief Justice Crampton each contribute a chapter. The preface is by Justice Frank Iacobucci and the epilogue by Justice Robert Décary.

As a judge, Beverley McLachlin has had an unequalled impact on Canadian life. She stands out for her unique ability to stand up for the values and beliefs that reflect the best of Canada and Canadians. As chief justice, she led the way to assisted suicide legislation, far greater recognition of aboriginal rights and title, allowing safe injection sites for drug users and many other changes that have had a dramatic impact on Canadian life. Less well known is her work to modify the way the Supreme Court judges work together to emphasize collegiality and to encourage judges on the court to pay closer attention to real-world information about the issues they are considering. Her courageous action to defend the independence of the court and her own personal integrity when it was attacked by Stephen Harper — an incident discussed and documented fully in this book — underlines her strength of character and integrity. This book sketches Beverley McLachlin's experiences growing up in rural Alberta, attending university, becoming a lawyer and then a judge. At a time when governments were seeking qualified women for senior positions in Canada's courts, she was selected by politicians, both Liberal and Conservative, to fill progressively higher positions. Ian Greene and Peter McCormick focus on her time on the Supreme Court offering readers a balanced, informed perspective on the role she defined for herself, remarkable for her prodigious work and the clarity of her decisions. Their background as leading Canadian writers on the role of the judiciary in Canada allows them to offer an independent and readable appreciation of her contributions to Canadian life.