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Stories from the History of the Supreme Court
Random House
March 2013
On Sale: March 5, 2013
233 pages ISBN: 0812993926 EAN: 9780812993929 Kindle: B009MYAVC2 Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction Memoir
“I called this book Out of Order because it
reflects my goal, which is to share a different side of the
Supreme Court. Most people know the Court only as it exists
between bangs of the gavel, when the Court comes to order to
hear arguments or give opinions. But the stories of the
Court and the Justices that come from the ‘out of order’
moments add to the richness of the Court as both a branch of
our government and a human institution.”—Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor From Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the United States
Supreme Court, comes this fascinating book about the history
and evolution of the highest court in the land.
Out of Order sheds light on the centuries
of change and upheaval that transformed the Supreme Court
from its uncertain beginnings into the remarkable
institution that thrives and endures today. From the early
days of circuit-riding, when justices who also served as
trial judges traveled thousands of miles per year on
horseback to hear cases, to the changes in civil rights
ushered in by Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall; from
foundational decisions such as Marbury vs. Madison to
modern-day cases such as Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld, Justice
O’Connor weaves together stories and lessons from the
history of the Court, charting turning points and pivotal
moments that have helped define our nation’s progress.
With unparalleled insight and her unique
perspective as a history-making figure, Justice O’Connor
takes us on a personal exploration, painting vivid pictures
of Justices in history, including Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.,
one of the greatest jurists of all time; Thurgood Marshall,
whose understated and succinct style would come to transform
oral argument; William O. Douglas, called “The Lone Ranger”
because of his impassioned and frequent dissents; and John
Roberts, whom Justice O’Connor considers to be the finest
practitioner of oral argument she has ever witnessed in
Court. We get a rare glimpse into the Supreme Court’s inner
workings: how cases are chosen for hearing; the personal
relationships that exist among the Justices; and the customs
and traditions, both public and private, that bind one
generation of jurists to the next—from the seating
arrangements at Court lunches to the fiercely competitive
basketball games played in the Court Building’s top-floor
gymnasium, the so-called “highest court in the land.”
Wise, candid, and assured, Out of Order is
a rich offering of inspiring stories of one of our country’s
most important institutions, from one of our country’s most
respected pioneers.
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