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Encore Q&A: John Paul Stevens

Washington, DC
Saturday, September 29, 2012

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens discusses his book, "Five Chiefs," a memoir which details the workings of the Supreme Court from Stevens’ personal experiences with the five most recent chief justices. As the third longest serving Supreme Court Justice in American history, John Paul Stevens recounts his dealings with each individual chief justice, beginning with the 1947 term and culminating in his resignation at the end of the 2010 term. He relates his personal views of each chief justice along with stories of his own career including his attendance at Northwestern Law School. He shares information about many of the most complex and controversial decisions he was involved with including freedom of speech, affirmative action, and capital punishment. Stevens identifies the justices he was personally closest to, and shares the story of why he finally chose to submit his resignation in 2010.

Updated: Monday, September 17, 2012 at 11:58am (ET)

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