The cult of personality: A review of recent supreme court justice biographies

The Supreme Court has undergone significant changes in personnel in the last few years with the death of Chief Justice Rehnquist and the retirement of Justice O'Connor. As the Court begins a new chapter under Chief Justice Roberts, several biographies of current and former justices have been published. This review essay examines three biographies of justices who played a major role in shaping the Court over the past 25 years. Justice Blackmun joined the Court in the early 1970s and wrote several major opinions, including Roe v. Wade. Justice O'Connor was the first woman on the Court, joining it in the early 1980s, and played a major role as a centrist, "swing" vote in close cases. Justice Thomas joined the Court in the late 1980s, after an incredibly contentious confirmation hearing, and has sought to undo much of the work of the modern Court.