First published 2016
Justice Antonin Scalia sits in the Supreme Court chamber, his sharp questions cutting through oral arguments like a blade. For nearly thirty years, he has anchored the Court with his unwavering constitutional philosophy and blistering dissents. When his sudden death shakes the nation, former Senate counsel Kevin Ring examines the cases that reveal Scalia's true character. Ring sifts through landmark opinions on free speech, religious liberty, separation of powers, and the rights of the accused. He weaves together Scalia's own words with careful analysis of his legal reasoning. The book captures Scalia's wisecracking interruptions, his unmatched legal wisdom, and his dedication to constitutional text. As Republicans and Democrats battle over his empty seat, Ring shows how Scalia's plain language and constitutional moorings shaped American jurisprudence. The justice once said he didn't worry about his legacy, believing you should simply do your job right. Now that the lion of American law has left the stage, this collection preserves his most memorable words and lasting impact on the law.
Genres: biography, political-science, non-fiction, law, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Supreme Court
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
592 pages · Hardcover · Regnery