Democratic Justice

Felix Frankfurter was one of the most significant figures of the American twentieth century.... Brad Snyder has given this protean man the major biography he has long deserved. Democratic Justice is vivid, meticulous, and irresistibly absorbing. -- Nicholas Lemann, Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism and dean emeritus, Columbia Journalism School, and author of Transaction Man Exhaustively researched, gracefully written, persuasively argued, and historically grounded, [Democratic Justice] enriches our understanding of American democracy, politics, jurisprudence, and the liberal establishment.... One comes away from a reading of this book with a profound and renewed admiration for Felix Frankfurter and the obligation to reexamine his steadfast adherence to what he believed to be the limited role of an appointed judiciary in a liberal democracy. -- David Nasaw, author of The Last Million and The Patriarch For years people interested in constitutional law and US history have missed a comprehensive biography of Felix Frankfurter, in his time the most influential figure in constitutional law and an important contributor to progressive thought and politics. Finally we have one.... This is a major achievement that deserves to be widely read. -- Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School The conventional wisdom is that Felix Frankfurter was a liberal lawyer who became-surprisingly-a conservative justice. Brad Snyder's spellbinding biography brilliantly revises this understanding to present Frankfurter as a champion of democracy in his day-and for our own as well. -- Laura Kalman, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara A magnificent and indeed definitive biography of a vitally important but highly imperfect justice. -- David J. Garrow, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bearing the Cross and Liberty and Sexuality [A] powerhouse portrait.... Masterfully captures his far-reaching legacy.... An exemplary biography of a true public servant, especially refreshing in today's toxic political climate. -- Kirkus, starred review [A] multidimensional portrait.... The book's prodigious research impresses, offering valuable insights into the deliberations and power plays behind landmark cases and major legislation. This is the definitive biography of a towering judicial figure. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review