Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmuns Supreme Court Journey

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Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey 4. In clear and forceful prose, Becoming Justice Blackmun tells a judicial Horatio Alger story and a tale of a remarkable transformation. Greenhous "A fascinating book. Greenhouse was the first print reporter to have access to the extensive archives of Justice Harry A.

Blackmun , the man behind numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Roe v. Through the lens of Blackmun's private and public papers, Greenhouse crafts a compelling portrait of a man who, from to , 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. Burger, revealing how political differences became personal, even for two of the country's most respected jurists.

From America's preeminent Supreme Court reporter, this is a must-read for everyone who cares about the Court and its impact on our lives. Paperback , pages. Published April 4th by St. Martins Press-3pl first published May 2nd To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

To ask other readers questions about Becoming Justice Blackmun , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Becoming Justice Blackmun. Lists with This Book. May 18, Matt rated it really liked it Shelves: If you've never heard of Harry Blackmun, well, you should have. There was a controversy because Notre Dame is a Catholic college and President Obama is not an abortion hardliner. This controversy springs from the most polarizing case in Supreme Court history: Written by Justice Blackmun.

Linda Greenhouse's book traces the "journey" of Blackmun by using his private papers. In p If you've never heard of Harry Blackmun, well, you should have. In place of jounrney, though, I would substitute "evolution. How I pine for those days when we could appoint a Supreme Court justice who a didn't go to Harvard or Yale and b actually practiced in the real world. At first, all seemed right with the world. To write the opinion, Blackmun went to the Mayo Clinic, where he'd been general counsel, and stayed up nights in the medical library. From his research, he devised the now-infamous and also discarded trimester system.

In my legal opinion, Roe is a badly written case. Not because of judicial overreaching, but in its loose constitutional moorings. For some reason, Blackmun tried to avoid the then-evolving concept of a constitutional right to privacy, as embodied by Griswold v. Connecticut , and instead tethered his reasoning, and the trimester framework, upon the protected relationship between a woman and her doctor.

Of course, this has allowed the decision to be chipped away by every new advance in medical science. He really would've been better off going in the Griswold direction of sexual privacy. He changed from a target of feminists to their hero. He received thousands of letters thanking him, as well as those that were not as pleasant.

One might argue that he is too empathetic, and allowed himself to be swayed by public sentiment. Others would argue that he, unlike the current Supreme Court, is in touch with real world consequences outside the Beltway. Blackmun was one of a string of Republican appointees who bit the hand that appointed him, see, e. The joy in this book doesn't come from the writing, which is merely clean and workmanlike, but for its ability to show Blackmun change before our eyes, a change which he describes himself.

I'll admit, I got a little teary-eyed when I saw the reproduction of a note written by Thurgood Marshall, telling Blackmun he'd done well, after Blackmun's dissent in the horrid Bowers v.

Becoming Justice Blackmun

Whizzer White telling me that a State can outlaw sodomy bothers me on so many levels that I don't know where to begin. The best part of the book is the reproduction of the documents - the notes, annotations, and internal memos of the secretive Supreme Court. I got a kick out of justices passing notes back and forth during oral arguments updating each other on baseball scores.

Justice Blackmun was not a great legal mind, but he was a great justice. In his later years, his vigorous dissents showed the human side of judging that is often ostenstatiously hidden by the justices. As someone who has worked on a capital case, I can say from experience that Blackmun hit it on the head when he called for an end to tinkering "with the machinery of death.

The vetting and confirmation process has become too rigorous. Only those with a long paper trail and rigorous views will ever be nominated and confirmed, and that is a shame. I look at the doctrinaire conservatives on the Court today and shudder. It's impossible to imagine today's justices - Roberts the smug protector of the status quo, who has shown little of his promised humility , Scalia the heaven-sent interpreter of the Constitution, who is the only one alive who knows the Framer's intent , and Thomas the self-hater who wishes to destroy the institutions that gave him so many opportunities - ever having the thoughtfulness to rethink their entrenched positions.

That means decades and decades of the prosecution beating the defendant, the corporation beating the plaintiff, and the big guy beating the little guy. Justice Blackmun is needed more than ever, but it was a stroke of fortune to have had him at all. View all 4 comments. Jan 13, Lightreads rated it liked it Shelves: More history than biography, written almost entirely on the basis of Blackmun's recently unsealed papers he kept everything.

It's a bit of a weird book because of that. The opening biographical sketches getting Blackmun to his Scotus appointment are very cursory, as these things go, and the real meat of the book is the themed sections on abortion and Blackmun's authorship of Roe , then the death penalty through Greg v. Thin-skinned, tetchy, precise, finicky, rigorous, occasionally quite funny.

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That comes through in this book, in his personal notes, casual correspondence, editorial marginalia on letters and drafts. What doesn't really come through is the bigger picture. You'd really think that the personal papers would give the best view of how Blackmun, the Nixon appointee, swung in the last third of his life from voting almost entirely with the conservative Burger end of the court to almost entirely with Brennan and often Marshall.

But Blackmun, who wrote down nearly everything else, didn't really explain that, and neither does this book, quite. So the focus on the Blackmun lens is interesting, but not as illuminating as I thought it would be, and the whole book is a bit lighter weight than I was hoping. Jun 07, Bill Sleeman rated it really liked it Shelves: A very good history of one man's contributions.

The role that "Roe" ended up playing in his life was unexpected and unfortunate because, as author Linda Greenhouse makes plain, his contributions to constitutional law and scholarship were immense. Oftentimes it is easy to forget that these are just men and women that we have asked to perform a thankless task — Greenhouse makes plain that at least Justice Blackmun struggled daily with what it meant to be on the Court and to shape the rights of so A very good history of one man's contributions.

Oftentimes it is easy to forget that these are just men and women that we have asked to perform a thankless task — Greenhouse makes plain that at least Justice Blackmun struggled daily with what it meant to be on the Court and to shape the rights of so many. Sep 29, Mark rated it really liked it Shelves: Because it is concise it focuses on a small number of his most famous decisions plus describing briefly how the Supreme Court functions and the relations between the judges. It doesn't spend any time describing a theory of law, but shows on specific concrete cases what he was thinking.

What was most interesting to me was seeing how a conservative judge of just a couple decades ago could take positions that would place him on the This is a concise biography of Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun. What was most interesting to me was seeing how a conservative judge of just a couple decades ago could take positions that would place him on the left end of the court today. The biggest difference seems to be that Blackmun always remembered that the law was about real people while the ultra-conservative judges regard the law as a theory distinct from the people it affects.

Dec 05, Earl rated it liked it. An interesting account of the Justice most known for his authorship of the Roe v. A defender of women's rights to the end, this book does a decent job of telling the tale of a complex man from Minnesota who left an indelible mark on the history and course of this nation. May 17, Jessica rated it it was amazing.

Every time I read it, I take something different out of it. May 28, Cherif Jazra rated it liked it. This is a fine book about the life of justice Blacknum, a person I have grown to really like in reading this book. A large focus of the focus is in the intimate relationship he had with chief justice Burger, a close childhood friend who was his strongest ally at bringing him to the Supreme Court just a couple years before he was faced with Roe v.

The tone of the book is personal as the author Linda greenhouse draws from his personal papers donated tot library of congress in You find This is a fine book about the life of justice Blacknum, a person I have grown to really like in reading this book. You find a persons of great integrity and respective of all, never acrimonious. The author takes us through the many cases he authored and his relationship with the other justices through his 24 years at the court.

He grew much more liberal as he got older and voted much closer to Brennan than Burger when he first started. Overall enjoyable, particularly the first part of the book Jan 29, Chris Miller rated it really liked it. This short biography was well-sorted-out. It drew a clear arc from Justice Blackmun's beginnings at the Mayo Clinic through the surprise of his confirmation as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court to the eloquent and motivated jurist he became.

Because Linda Greenhouse limited her sources to the papers maintained by Justice Blackmun, many details were omitted and a truly objective portrayal of his impact became impossible. I'm glad I took the time to read it, especially having just finished This short biography was well-sorted-out.

I'm glad I took the time to read it, especially having just finished Sisters in Law: Dec 28, Mary rated it really liked it. Interesting insider information about the Supreme Court. Was also interesting to learn more about Justice Blackmun and how his views changed or evolved while he was on the Court. It was sad, though, to learn of the dissolution of his childhood friendship with Justice Burger because of their differences of opinions while on the Court. Sep 28, Madison Thornton rated it really liked it. An excellent judicial biography.

Tracks the personal and professional evolutions of one of the great Justices of the latter half of the 20th century. The background information on Roe v. Wade was fascinating, and one walks away from the whole experience lamenting the absence of a Justice Blackmun in America today. May 23, Neil rated it it was amazing. A must-read for anyone interested in the Court.

Jun 13, Emily Klein rated it it was amazing. Fascinating book about an important and compelling legal scholar. Aug 02, Robin Miller rated it really liked it. Sep 21, Yeein Lee rated it it was amazing. Oct 26, Jon rated it really liked it. This biography of a Supreme Court justice grabs most of its information from Blackmun's own papers and diary. It presents the story of a justice who moves from the right side of the political spectrum to the left during his time on the bench. It also tells the tale of two men whose friendship draws to a close as this transformation takes place.

The two were, thus, long-time friends when they ended This biography of a Supreme Court justice grabs most of its information from Blackmun's own papers and diary.

The two were, thus, long-time friends when they ended up on the Supreme Court together, though their paths to the Court differed. Although Blackmun went to a top law school, he found himself in the middle of the class, after having excelled in college, much to his displeasure. Such is the experience of most law students, I have found out, via my wife. He then went to work for a nonprofit medical organization, the Mayo Clinic. Berger, meanwhile, went to Washington to clerk and then eventually to serve in the government, before being elevated to the appeals court. Blackmun turned down several opportunities to go work for big law and for D.

Berger becomes Chief Justice, and when an opening comes up under the Nixon administration, he suggests Blackmun. The old buddies end up living and working in D. Both moderate conservatives from Minnesota, there's some expectation that they will vote together on various cases. And that's largely how their time on the Court starts.

Blackmun's big decision was Roe v. Wade, which he wrote for the majority. That case, as it turns out, was largely one meant to protect doctors from prosecution and Blackmun's thinking was affected heavily by his time at the Mayo Clinic. However, as time went on, the case became more and more about the Constitution's inferred "right to privacy" and women's rights. Blackmun's defense of Roe became more and more about these latter things but also, it seemed to me, about protecting his legacy. The former two, however, over the years, would move to the left as well and eventually uphold Roe in some later cases.

Blackmun went from voting about 90 percent with conservatives to 90 percent with liberals over his years on the Court, moving from the right to the left. Berger did not move as much accordingly, but more than that, as Blackmun became his own man on the Court, not simply taking Berger's same positions, the relationship became strained. One reads as the correspondence between the two grows slimmer and more strained, such that mention of Berger in Blackmun's diary at the time of the former's death is just that and not much more.

It's a sad thing to witness. I was told that Blackmun said that it wasn't he that changed but the Court, that it grew more conservative. But reading the book, I came to feel that in fact it was not just the latter. The Court may have gotten moderately more conservative, but it seems to me that Blackmun moved to the left too as made evident by the justices with whom he largely voted.

Faced with real situations, it was hard to remain an idealist, Blackmun said. Certainly, I can see how one's views could change when faced with real people whose lives may be affected. Linda Greenhouse is a distinguished Supreme Court reporter for the NY Times, a fact which shows in her detailed yet easy-to-read and accessible account of Harry Blackmun's tenure on the Supreme Court. This biography of Justice Blackmun's professional career -- with a focus on abortion Blackmun authored Roe v.

Wade , the death penalty, sex discrimination, and his friendship with Chief Justice Warren Burger -- is a must-read for anybody with even a passing interest in either the Supreme Court as Linda Greenhouse is a distinguished Supreme Court reporter for the NY Times, a fact which shows in her detailed yet easy-to-read and accessible account of Harry Blackmun's tenure on the Supreme Court.

Wade , the death penalty, sex discrimination, and his friendship with Chief Justice Warren Burger -- is a must-read for anybody with even a passing interest in either the Supreme Court as an institution or Harry Blackmun as an individual. The strengths of this work are also its weaknesses: Greenhouse provides cursory introductory remarks about Blackmun's upbringing, education, and friendship with Justice Warren Burger, who Blackmun had known from childhood. Although the author openly admits this -- as the title suggests, the book aims to chronicle Blackmun's development as a Supreme Court Justice -- I feel it would have been valuable for the reader to have more background on Blackmun as a person in order to understand the great transformation from a conservative-leaning jurist to one of the Court's most outspoken liberals.

At pages, this likely could have been provided without sacrificing depth or detail on the matters that are covered in this value. Furthermore, this book is almost entirely the product of Greenhouse's research into Blackmun's personal documents, currently housed at the Library of Congress. The result is a uniquely personal account of the events covered, providing insights into Blackmun's own insecurities as a Justice and his inner conflicts on issues like the death penalty and abortion.

Blackmun wrote numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Roe v. Wade, and participated in the most contentious debates of his era-all behind closed doors. In Becoming Justice Blackmun , Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times draws back the curtain on America's most private branch of government and reveals the backstage story of the Supreme Court through the eyes and writings of this extraordinary justice.

Greenhouse was the first print reporter to have access to Blackmun's extensive archive and his private and public papers. From this trove she has crafted a compelling narrative of Blackmun's years on the Court, showing how he never lost sight of the human beings behind the legal cases and how he was not afraid to question his own views on such controversial issues as abortion, the death penalty, and sex discrimination. Burger withered in the crucible of life on the nation's highest court, revealing how political differences became personal, even for the country's most respected jurists.

Becoming Justice Blackmun , written by America's preeminent Supreme Court reporter, offers a rare and wonderfully vivid portrait of the nation's highest court, including insights into many of the current justices. It is a must-read for everyone who cares about the Court and its impact on our lives. Read more Read less. Add both to Cart Add both to List. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers.

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Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey

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Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention greenhouse burger roe wade justices warren linda biography papers liberal death decision chief abortion decisions law early became friendship relationship. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. This biography is based on Justice Blackmun's own personal notes, letters, and documents which were released 5 years after his death in It is the defenitive biography of one of the more influential Associate Justices in modern history.

A major thread in the book involves Blackmun's relationship and interactions with other Justices, with particular emphasis on his relationship with Chief Justice Warren Burger. Burger was a lifelong friend, but their tenure on the court put an irreparable strain on that friendship. Justice Blackmun is most famous for having penned the majority opinion in the landmark abortion case, Roe v.

The book does a wonderful job in showing how Blackmun's jurisprudence evolved during his 24 years on the Supreme Court: This is a great read. My only complaint is that there is some organizational confusion to the book: This is a minor problem though and certainly didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

Definitely worth reading if you have an interest in the Supreme Court, American History or biographies in general. After finishing the biography on Brennan Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion , I thought I'd pick up a book about one of his co-justices, and a frequent ally. I have to say that I found this to be an easier read, and a more powerful one.

The book is especially moving when describing Justice Blackmun's struggles with the effects of each court decision on real people. Unlike many judges, it's clear that Blackmun understood that court decisions are not merely conclusions of legal theory but that they have profound impact and can cause real devastation for those affected. All those famous quotes I remember from law school--from "Poor Joshua!

You can see and feel the evolution of Justice Blackmun's jurisprudence and his movement away from the faith held so close by most other justices liberal and conservative: As a practicing lawyer who sees the impact of each judicial decision in human terms play out on the lives of her clients daily, I can appreciate Justice Blackmun's compassion. That this compassion shines through is a testament to Linda Greenhouse as a writer.

For historians Blackmum must be an angel, as he kept all his papers and on his death turned them over to the Library of Congress. The book provides a fascinating story told in clear and forceful prose telling the tale of a remarkable transformation. Blackmum was a Republican, conservative, Methodist appointed to the Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon after two other men where refused appointment. Their fellow justices referred to Burger and Blackmum as the Minnesota Twins. Burger assigned Roe v Wade and a number of other similar cases to Blackmum.

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