Closed Chambers: The Modern Supreme Court

Edward Lazarus talked about his book Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court, published by Penguin. It is a new edition of his 1998 book about the inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court. Edward Lazarus, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, discussed the confirmation process and provided insights into the intersection of law, politics, and personality as they play out on the Court. Mr. Lazarus talked about what the objects in the chambers of the Justices told about their judicial philosophy. He also talked about one case as an illustration of the lack of intellectual integrity in the Court and talked about the concept of judicial activism. He responded to questions from members of the audience on a variety of topics, including the recent nomination of Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court. close