"Portions of this book were originally published in 2004 under the title 'Scalia Dissents: Writings of the Supreme Court's Wittiest, Most Outspoken Justice' (ISBN 978-0-89526-053-6)"--Title page verso.
"The passing of this brilliant jurist is a great loss, but his writings—with their plain language and constitutional moorings—will guide generations to come." - Speaker of the House Paul Ryan
The sudden passing of Justice Antonin Scalia shook America. After almost thirty years on the Supreme Court, Scalia had become as integral to the institution as the hallowed room in which he sat. His wisecracking interruptions during oral arguments, his unmatched legal wisdom, his unwavering dedication to the Constitution, and his blistering dissents defined his leadership role on the court and inspired new generations of policymakers and legal minds.
Now, as Republicans and Democrats wage war over Scalia’s lamentably empty Supreme Court seat, Kevin Ring, former counsel to the U.S. Senate’s Constitution Subcommittee, has taken a close look at the cases that best illustrate Scalia’s character, philosophy, and legacy. In Scalia’s Court: A Legacy of Landmark Opinions and Dissents, Ring collects Scalia’s most memorable opinions on free speech, separation of powers, race, religious freedom, the rights of the accused, abortion, and more; and intersperses Scalia's own words with an analysis of his legal reasoning and his lasting impact on American jurisprudence.
“I don’t worry about my legacy,” Scalia once told an audience at the National Archives. “Just do your job right, and who cares?”
Now that "the lion of American law has left the stage,” as the U.S. Attorney General put it, it is for the rest of America to worry about his legacy—and to care.
"Justice Scalia did more to advance originalism and judicial restraint than anyone in our time, and it all started with just two words: 'I dissent.' The passing of this brilliant jurist is a great loss, but his writings—with their plain language and constitutional moorings—will guide generations to come."
—Speaker of the House Paul Ryan
"He was a jurist of captivating brilliance and wit, with a rare talent to make even the most sober judge laugh. The press referred to his 'energetic fervor,' 'astringent intellect,' 'peppery prose,' 'acumen,' and 'affability,' all apt descriptions. He was eminently quotable, his pungent opinions so clearly stated that his words never slipped from the reader's grasp."
—Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court
