Linda Greenhouse

Digging a Hole: The Legal Theory Podcast

For the second episode of Season 4, Linda Greenhouse joins the pod to discuss her new book Justice on the Brink about the Supreme Court! There is no one who better understands the evolution, context, and operations of the Court than Linda. She is a Clinical Lecturer in Law and a Senior Research Scholar in Law at Yale Law School. After covering the Supreme Court for the New York Times as a reporter, she has written a frequent column for the opinion section since. In her latest book, Linda chronicles the Court with the three new Trump justices.

In our discussion, we ask Linda the major questions about the Court and its future. Should the Court be public-facing and, if so, how? As the Court breaks the fourth wall, engaging fully with today’s politics and polarization, is what is really on the brink the idea of a Court separate from politics? How will justices operate as the Court engages more explicitly in politics, and who are their intended audiences in their opinions and public engagements? What does this Court do next after taking on abortion and affirmative action?

Are we finally at the brink?

Referenced Readings

• Justice on the Brink: The Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Rise of Amy Coney Barrett, and Twelve Months That Transformed the Supreme Court, Linda Greenhouse.
• Becoming Justice Blackmun, Linda Greenhouse.
• The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right, Michael J. Graetz and Linda Greenhouse.
• “The Impeachment Question,” Linda Greenhouse.
• “Law and Politics,” Linda Greenhouse
• “Do We Have the Supreme Court We Deserve?,” Linda Greenhouse
• “Address by Justice Samuel Alito,” Justice Samuel Alito.
• “Is the Supreme Court on Its Way to Becoming a Conservative Bastion,” Noah Feldman.
• “Decision-Making in a Democracy: The Role of the Supreme Court in National Policy-Making,” Robert Dahl.