Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is set to release a two-volume memoir this fall, chronicling his journey from his upbringing in California to his three decades on the bench, during which he played pivotal roles in landmark cases spanning issues from abortion to gay marriage to campaign finance.
Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday that Kennedy’s memoir, titled “Life and Law: The Early Years” and “Life and Law: The Court Years,” will hit shelves on Oct. 1, both as a boxed set and individual editions, each comprising around 320 pages.
Throughout his tenure, Kennedy was widely regarded as a moderate conservative, often pivotal in closely divided cases such as Obergefell v. Hodges, establishing the constitutional right to same-se*x marriage, and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, permitting unlimited corporate spending in elections.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy (Credits: The Washington Post)
Simon & Schuster stated, “In ‘Life and Law,’ he offers insights into the reasons and methods behind his judicial decisions.” “The second volume presents poignant portraits of Justices O’Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Ginsburg, interwoven with Kennedy’s reflections on his pivotal decisions.
However, the first volume, delving into his formative years in Sacramento and his decade as a practicing attorney, illuminates the judicial titan. Readers will witness his transformation from child to man, shaping America’s trajectory as profoundly as any figure in Washington in the 21st century.
Anthony M. Kennedy (Credits: The New York Times)
Kennedy, 87, revealed in the preface to the first volume that his memoir expanded beyond his initial intentions. “It was my plan (I solemnly swear) to provide a concise account of my early years.
Yet, as I wrote, my recollections veered towards the societal and cultural shifts from the ’40s and ’50s to the ’60s and ’70s. These shifts were relevant to my evolution and the broader societal changes,” he explained.
“As each day passes, we should endeavor to deepen our understanding of ourselves and our aspirations,” he continued. “Writing a memoir is a formalized means to achieve this.” Kennedy served as an associate justice from 1988 to 2018, and his nomination and retirement marked important moments in American politics.
Initially appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Kennedy’s nomination followed the Senate’s rejection of Reagan’s first pick, Robert Bork, and the withdrawal of the second nominee, Douglas Ginsburg.
In 2018, Kennedy’s retirement led to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh by President Donald Trump, a former Kennedy law clerk, whose confirmation process was marred by allegations of se*xual assault brought by Christine Blasey Ford, a high school acquaintance. Kennedy’s memoir will hit bookstores shortly after the release of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s memoir “Lovely One,” scheduled for Sept. 3.
