Edward Lazarus Quotes

"There's a certain romanticism about the court's role in American life, the ability of the court to be a moral beacon for the country, that drives justices to take progressive stands."

"The issue of physician-assisted suicide is tied into what President Bush calls 'the culture of life.' So this is a real emotional issue for them [conservatives]. And it's likely to be a very close ruling at the court, with Roberts again, perhaps, a key vote."

"The better argument for the result reached in Roe v. Wade is that it's necessary for the equality of women, rather than grounding it in the privacy right, ... Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court."

"She doesn't give much guidance to other courts in her rulings, there's a lack of consistency, distinctiveness, ... Often it seems her opinions are too narrow, reflecting only how it strikes just Justice O'Connor, what she personally thinks."

"She doesn't give much guidance to other courts in her rulings, there's a lack of consistency, distinctiveness. Often it seems her opinions are too narrow, reflecting only how it strikes just Justice O'Connor, what she personally thinks."

"The conference itself is not a place of debate, ... They don't engage across the conference table."

"But there is the very deeply held belief in the court that they do nothing that gives the appearance of impropriety. And I think in this case, Cheney may have gone over the line by inviting him [Scalia] down to hunt. Scalia, in a reflective moment, may be thinking, 'I shouldn't have done that.'"

"The Rehnquist revolution has reached a certain equilibrium. They don't seem to be going in any radical directions. Even among the two liberal justices, [Stephen] Breyer and [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg, they are cautious pragmatists."

"Liberals, the moderates and conservatives on the bench have been feeling out Chief Justice Roberts to see ... what kinds of arguments appeal to him, what kind of person is he."

"There is a very steep learning curve, even for someone as versed in constitutional law as Roberts is."

"This law does seem to be crafted to demand some kind of Supreme Court review. Because it really goes to this question of how much you have to protect the life versus the health of the mother. ... And it actually could be one of those cases that could turn on John Roberts' vote."

"It sounds great from an institutional standpoint. Maybe the Court could do a better job of persuasion. But it won't come overnight. If Roberts leads by example and writes clearly and talks to his colleagues, it may happen."