Listening to the law : reflections on the court and constitution / Amy Coney Barrett.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a glimpse of her journey to the Court and an account of her approach to the Constitution

Since her confirmation hearing, Americans have peppered Justice Amy Coney Barrett with questions. How has she adjusted to the Court? What is it like to be a Supreme Court justice with school-age children? Do the justices get along? What does her normal day look like? How does the Court get its cases? How does it decide them? How does she decide?

In Listening to the Law , Justice Barrett answers these questions and more. She lays out her role (and daily life) as a justice, touching on everything from her deliberation process to dealing with media scrutiny. With the warmth and clarity that made her a popular law professor, she brings to life the making of the Constitution and explains her approach to interpreting its text. Whether sharing stories of clerking for Justice Scalia or walking readers through prominent cases, she invites readers to wrestle with originalism and to embrace the rich heritage of our Constitution.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Author's Note (ix)
• Introduction (xi)
• Chapter 1 My Life in the Law (1)
• Part 1 The Court and Its Work
• Chapter 2 The Commission and the Oath (19)
• Chapter 3 Working Together (35)
• Chapter 4 Deciding a Case (51)
• Chapter 5 Law Clerks in Chambers (73)
• Chapter 6 Docketed (89)
• Chapter 7 Judicial Power and Restraint (101)
• Part 2 The Constitution and the American Experience
• Chapter 8 A More Perfect Union (119)
• Chapter 9 A Firmer Foundation (137)
• Chapter 10 United yet Distinct (155)
• Part 3 Thinking About the Law
• Chapter 11 Can I Have That in Writing? (175)
• Chapter 12 Past Meets Present (193)
• Chapter 13 All About Words (211)
• Chapter 14 Don't Take It Literally (227)
• Conclusion (243)
• Appendix: The Constitution (247)
• Notes (269)
• Index (305)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Kirkus Book Review

A justice explains the Supreme Court's work with clarity and restraint. At once accessible and unexpectedly engaging, Barrett's first book distills often complex constitutional ideas into a clear account of the court's work and the philosophy that shapes her approach. Barrett traces her path from law clerk to 103rd associate justice in 2020, while also demystifying the court's daily operations. She emphasizes collegiality--"The success of a multi-member court rides on the ability to disagree respectfully"--although this sentiment seems to go against her rare rebuke of fellow Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (over Jackson's criticism of President Trump's attempt to ban birthright citizenship). At the core is Barrett's explanation of originalism. "I'm not an originalist because I think that history yields easy answers or prevents bad judging," she writes. "I'm an originalist because I think that it's the right way to think about law." She broadens her account to explore the origins of the Constitution, the reasoning behind landmark cases, and the importance of reading full opinions rather than headlines. Her treatment of the controversialDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which overturnedRoe v. Wade, illustrates this method. She outlines both majority and dissenting arguments, illuminating sharply different views of the court's role. While instructive, this analysis stops short of grappling with the political consequences of the ruling. What's absent within her narrative is striking precisely because it contrasts with the candor evident elsewhere in the book. Despite her emphasis on clarity and transparency, Barrett avoids addressing the court's most disputed recent decisions, the perception that it has often deferred to the Trump administration, and the intensifying debate over judicial ethics and structural reform--including proposals for stricter financial disclosures, recusal standards, and even term limits. She does, however, point to the law's unambiguous force: In 1951, the 22nd Amendment established that "[n]o person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." That constitutional rule, she underscores, "leaves no room for second-guessing." A lucid guide to how one Supreme Court justice believes the court should do its work. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.