As a powerful voice in the battle for Civil Rights and the first African American appointed to the nation's highest court, Justice Thurgood Marshall was among the scores of African Americans across the country who were conquering color barriers in government, sports, music, and culture. A former law clerk to Justice Marshall offers an in-depth look at this monumental figure and his enduring legacy.
The Roberts Court sits at the center of a constitutional maelstrom. Two of the most prestigious Supreme Court experts discuss its direction under Chief Justice Roberts and trace the paths of recent landmark decisions on race, guns, immigration, campaign finance, and health care.
How does the Constitution, an 18th-century document, relate to and dictate the laws of a 21st-century society? Through the analysis of past cases, including those concerning slavery, the Cherokee Indians, and detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Justice Stephen Breyer examines the Court’s arduous—and often turbulent—journey to establish its legitimacy as guardian of the Constitution. Having earned the public’s confidence, he expounds how the Court can continue promoting a workable democracy going forward.
Three experts draw back the curtain of the United States Supreme Court to provide an insider’s look at one of the most influential and distinguished justices of the 20th century: William J. Brennan, Jr. Drawing on previously private case histories and personal interviews, this program examines not only Brennan’s life but the strategy behind the major legal battles of the past half century, from Roe v. Wade to the death penalty to the right to privacy, in a riveting look at one of the Court’s most progressive eras.