After more than 30 years on the Supreme Court, on June 27 Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced his retirement from the bench. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, Justice Kennedy eschewed traditional dogmatic divides and became known as the Court’s “swing vote.”
A champion for individual rights, Justice Kennedy authored majority opinions for landmark cases ranging from protecting the habeas corpus rights of prisoners in Guantanamo to extending the right to marriage to same-sex couples.
Three of Justice Kennedy's former clerks join We The People host Jeffrey Rosen for a special look at the Justice's legacy.
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John Elwood is a partner at Vinson & Elkins law firm, teaches at the University of Virginia School of Law’s Supreme Court litigation clinic, and is a contributor to SCOTUSblog. He clerked for Justice Kennedy from 1996–1997.
Leah Litman is assistant professor of law at the University of California, Irvine Law School. She is a guest host of the First Mondays Supreme Court podcast and blogs at the Take Care blog. She clerked for Justice Kennedy from 2011-2012.
Christopher Yoo is John H. Chestnut Professor of Law, Communication, and Computer & Information Science; director, Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition at Penn Law School. He clerked for Justice Kennedy from 1997-1998.
Jeffrey Rosen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Constitution Center, the only institution in America chartered by Congress “to disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.”
Related Resources
- Opinion in Alden v. Maine, 527 U.S.__(1999), U.S. Supreme Court, June 23, 1999.
- Opinion in Florida Bar v. Went for It, Inc., 515 U.S. __ (1995), U.S. Supreme Court, June 21, 1995.
- Opinion in United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc., 529 U.S.__(2000), U.S. Supreme Court, May 22, 2000.
- Opinion in Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. FCC, 512 U.S.__(1994), U.S. Supreme Court, June 27, 1994.
- Opinion in Maryland v. Wilson, 519 U.S.__ (1997), U.S. Supreme Court, February 10, 1997.
- Opinion in Rodriguez de Quijas v. Shearson/American Express, Inc. 490 U.S.__(1989), U.S. Supreme Court, May 15, 1989.
- Opinion in PPL Montana v. Montana 565 U. S. __(2012), U.S. Supreme Court, February 22, 2011.
- Opinion in Rosenberger v. University of Va., 515 U.S.__(1995), U.S. Supreme Court, June 29, 1995.
- Opinion in Fisher v. University of Texas, 579 U. S. _(2016), U.S. Supreme Court, June 23, 2016.
- Justice Anthony M. Kennedy: The Constitution and the Bill of Rights (Town Hall recording)
- Understanding Freedom’s Heritage: How to Keep and Defend Liberty (JAMK Reading List)
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