Becoming Justice Blackmun Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey

by Greenhouse, Linda

• ISBN13: 9780805080575
• ISBN10: 0805080570
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-04
• Publisher: Times Books

Summary

In this acclaimed biography, Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times draws back the curtain on Americas most private branch of government, the Supreme Court. Greenhouse was the first print reporter to have access to the extensive archives of Justice Harry A. Blackmun (190899), the man behind numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Roe v. Wade. Through the lens of Blackmuns private and public papers, Greenhouse crafts a compelling portrait of a man who, from 1970 to 1994, ruled on such controversial issues as abortion, the death penalty, and sex discrimination yet never lost sight of the human beings behind the legal cases. Greenhouse also paints the arc of Blackmuns lifelong friendship with Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, revealing how political differences became personal, even for two of the countrys most respected jurists. From Americas preeminent Supreme Court reporter, this is a must-read for everyone who cares about the Court and its impact on our lives.

Author Biography

Linda Greenhouse has covered the Supreme Court for The New York Times since 1978 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for her reporting on the Court. She appears regularly on the PBS program Washington Week and lectures frequently on the Supreme Court at colleges and law schools. She graduated from Radcliffe College at Harvard University and holds a master of studies in law from Yale Law School. She lives outside Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

Prologue	xi
1. MINNESOTA BEGINNINGS	1	(19)
2. APPEALS	20	(22)
3. OLD NUMBER THREE	42	(30)
4. THE ROAD TO ROE	72	(30)
5. FINDING HIS VOICE	102	(20)
6. BIG STORMS	122	(31)
7. DISSENTS	153	(29)
8. SAVING ROE	182	(25)
9. IMPROBABLE ICON	207	(21)
10. IN THE CENTER	228	(25)
A Note on Sources	253	(2)
Acknowledgments	255	(2)
Illustration Credits	257	(2)
Index	259