Justice Anthony Kennedy: Life, Law, and Liberty

When President Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1988, few could have expected that he would not only serve for 30 years but would also author landmark opinions on such contested issues in American society as abortion, gay rights, and free speech. At the ideological center of an increasingly divided court, Kennedy became the swing vote on many of the Roberts Court’s 5–4 decisions following the retirement of Sandra Day O’Connor. He said his principles never wavered; “The cases swing, I don’t.” 

That role earned him the monicker “The Decider” by Time magazine. He is the 15th longest-serving Supreme Court justice in American history. But what judicial philosophy guided his time on the bench? How did he keep his judgments separate from his political and religious beliefs? He says it is all owed to a fundamental conviction that neutral principles must drive the decision and an unyielding commitment to the rule of law. 

Join us for a live discussion in San Francisco with retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy to learn about his life—beginning in Sacramento, California, and taking him to the center of power in Washington, D.C.—and his approach to the rule of law. These are topics he explores in his new book Life, Law, and Liberty, and you can hear firsthand at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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