Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

I called this book Out of Order because it reflects my goal, which is to share a different side of the Supreme Court. Most people know the Court only as it exists between bangs of the gavel, when the Court comes to order to hear arguments or give opinions. But the stories of the Court and the Justices that come from the out of order moments add to the richness of the Court as both a branch of our government and a human institution.Justice Sandra Day OConnor

From Justice Sandra Day OConnor, the first woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court, comes this fascinating book about the history and evolution of the highest court in the land.

Out of Order sheds light on the centuries of change and upheaval that transformed the Supreme Court from its uncertain beginnings into the remarkable institution that thrives and endures today. From the early days of circuit-riding, when justices who also served as trial judges traveled thousands of miles per year on horseback to hear cases, to the changes in civil rights ushered in by Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall; from foundational decisions such as Marbury v. Madison to modern-day cases such as Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, Justice OConnor weaves together stories and lessons from the history of the Court, charting turning points and pivotal moments that have helped define our nations progress.

With unparalleled insight and her unique perspective as a history-making figure, Justice OConnor takes us on a personal exploration, painting vivid pictures of Justices in history, including Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., one of the greatest jurists of all time; Thurgood Marshall, whose understated and succinct style would come to transform oral argument; William O. Douglas, called The Lone Ranger because of his impassioned and frequent dissents; and John Roberts, whom Justice OConnor considers to be the finest practitioner of oral argument she has ever witnessed in Court. We get a rare glimpse into the Supreme Courts inner workings: how cases are chosen for hearing; the personal relationships that exist among the Justices; and the customs and traditions, both public and private, that bind one generation of jurists to the nextfrom the seating arrangements at Court lunches to the fiercely competitive basketball games played in the Court Buildings top-floor gymnasium, the so-called highest court in the land.

Wise, candid, and assured, Out of Order is a rich offering of inspiring stories of one of our countrys most important institutions, from one of our countrys most respected pioneers.

Praise for Out of Order

[A] succinct, snappy account of how todays courtso powerful, so controversial and so frequently dissected by the mediaevolved from such startlingly humble and uncertain beginnings.The New York Times

A brief and accessible history of the nations highest court, narrated by a true historical figure and a jurisprudential giant.The Boston Globe

A vibrantly personal book [that] displays OConnors uncommon common sense, her dry wit and her reverence for the nations institutions.Richmond Times-Dispatch

Full of riveting anecdotes . . . a compact history . . . albeit a more lighthearted, personality-filled one than you might find in a high school classroom.Associated Press