Five chiefs : a Supreme Court memoir

 by John Stevens. Stevens' law professor, Nathaniel Nathanson, who served as law clerk to Justice Louis Brandeis, whose seat Stevens later inherited, instilled in him a curiosity about the mystery of the law, the unresolved issues constantly coming before the U.S. Supreme Court. In fond memory of the professor, Stevens aims to convey the kinds of insights routine in Nathanson's class. He succeeds without the ponderousness of legal studies. Stevens briefly reviews the first 12 chief justices and the pressing judicial and political issues of their times before focusing on the 5 with whom he had personal contact, Fred Vinson (as his clerk), Earl Warren (as a practicing lawyer), Warren Burger (as a junior justice), William Rehnquist (as a colleague), and John Roberts (as the senior associate justice). Stevens' personal contact with those 5 adds texture and insights to the biographical sketches through anecdotes and fascinating behind-the-scenes details. He ends with his own perspective as the third-longest-serving justice in U.S. history and the senior associate justice. second among equals on the high-court bench. Photographs enhance this engaging look at the Supreme Court. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: When he resigned last June, Justice John Paul Stevens was the third longest-serving justice in American history; this behind-the-scenes look at the Court is sure to get plenty of media attention. --Booklist (Check Catalog)