Uncertain Justice The Roberts Court and the Constitution

by Tribe, Laurence; Matz, Joshua

• ISBN13: 9781250069351
• ISBN10: 1250069351
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-06-09
• Publisher: Picador

Summary

"Irresistible...A brilliantly layered account of the Roberts Court filled with memorable stories...This book is a joy to read from start to finish."-Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals and The Bully Pulpit

From Citizens United to its momentous rulings regarding Obamacare and gay marriage, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts has profoundly affected American life. Yet the court remains a mysterious institution, and the motivations of the nine men and women who serve for life are often obscure. Now, in Uncertain Justice, Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz show the surprising extent to which the Roberts Court is revising the meaning of our Constitution.

This essential book arrives at a make-or-break moment for the nation and the court, and the court's decisions on key topics-including free speech, privacy, voting rights, and presidential power-could be uniquely durable. Tribe, one of the country's leading constitutional lawyers, and Matz dig deeply into the court's rulings to deliver original insights and compelling human stories. In the end, Uncertain Justice illuminates the most colorful story of all-how the Supreme Court and the Constitution frame the way we live.

Author Biography

<b>Laurence Tribe</b> has taught constitutional law at Harvard for four decades and written widely about the law—including the most frequently cited treatise on the U.S. Constitution. He has argued dozens of cases at the Supreme Court, including the first argument in Bush v. Gore. <b>Joshua Matz</b>, a graduate of Harvard Law School and a frequent contributor to SCOTUSblog, is a clerk for a federal judge in Los Angeles. Together, Tribe and Matz taught an acclaimed course at Harvard about the Supreme Court and the Constitution. Tribe lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Matz lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Uncertain Justice 1

1. Equality: Are We There Yet? 15

2. Health Care: Liberty on the Line 52

3. Campaign Finance: Follow the Money 88

4. Freedom of Speech: Sex, Lies, and Video Games 121

5. Gun Rights: Armed and Dangerous 154

6. Presidential Power: Hail to the Chief 185

7. Privacy: What Have You Got to Hide? 219

8. Rights for Sale: Discounting the Constitution 253

9. Making Rights Real: Access to Justice 282

Epilogue: The Court and the Constitution 315

Notes 321

Acknowledgments 379

Index 383