Essential Reading On Antonin Scalia
On Saturday, the current Supreme Court's longest-serving and perhaps most widely-known justice, Antonin Scalia, passed away at a Texas resort at the age of 79. While simply known to many as the most conservative justice on the Court — Antonin Scalia's legal prowess, personality, and writing left an indelible mark on the contemporary world of law and politics. Here's a selection of readings on the larger-than-life figure.
LEADER OF A Conservative renaissance
The New York Times Obituary
He was, Judge Richard A. Posner wrote in The New Republic in 2011, "the most influential justice of the last quarter century." Justice Scalia was a champion of originalism, the theory of constitutional interpretation that seeks to apply the understanding of those who drafted and ratified the Constitution. In Justice Scalia's hands, originalism generally led to outcomes that pleased political conservatives, but not always.
'The jurisprudence of Justice Antonin Scalia'
The New Yorker's Profile Of A Justice, His Quirks And His Theories
Scalia evinces an almost absurdist delight in the sense and sound of words. When Justice Souter told a lawyer that he wanted to ask a "sort of complementary question," Scalia had to interrupt to ask, "Is that with an 'i' or an 'e'?" When Kennedy characterized a lawyer's argument as "Gothic jurisprudence," Scalia interjected dryly, "Rococo, I think."
MUCH MORE THAN JUST TALK
An In-Depth Conversation With Antonin Scalia
"I'm nervous about our civic culture. I'm not sure the Internet is largely the cause of it. It's certainly the cause of careless writing. People who get used to blurbing things on the Internet are never going to be good writers. And some things I don't understand about it. For example, I don't know why anyone would like to be 'friended' on the network."
HIS PEN WAS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
Some Of Scalia's Best Writing From The Bench
One thing that is undeniable about Justice Antonin Scalia is that his opinions were always a good read. He was a reliable conservative, but every once in a while he broke rank. Most of all, however, Scalia, who died on Saturday, will be remembered for his scathing dissents.
[NPR]
LEGALLY loquacious
Scalia's Most Memorable Quotes
After three decades on the highest court in the land, the conservative justice will also be remembered for his sometimes ineffable remarks.
[Politico]
QUANTIFIABLY VERIFIED AS THE SASSIEST JUSTICE
Looking Back On Scalia's Snark
[W]hile Antonin Scalia, who was found dead Saturday, may be primarily remembered as one of the giants of conservative legal thought, he will also be known as someone who made sarcasm a linchpin of the highest court's opinions.
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