Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement in June 2018 sent shockwaves throughout America. After Justice Sandra Day O'Connor left the Court in 2005, Justice Kennedy became the Court's all-important swing vote in virtually every important area of constitutional law. His views on affirmative action, abortion, campaign finance reform, free speech, and the separation of church and state (among many other constitutional issues) were the ones that mattered the most among the Justices. Lawyers prepared arguments and filed briefs in the Supreme Court for the main purpose of persuading Justice Kennedy to rule for their clients. He was, quite simply, the most important and powerful judge in the United States.

On October 15, 2018, the Georgia State University College of Law, along with the Georgia State University Law Review, held a conference devoted to Justice Kennedy's judicial legacy. Some of this country's most prominent constitutional law professors from all over the political spectrum gathered to discuss and debate many different aspects of Justice Kennedy's thirty-year career, including his unique prose, his status as the Court's swing vote, and his important opinions.

Disciplines

Law | Legal Writing and Research

Comments

Copyright © 2019 Georgia State University Law Review.

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