"The Greatest Justices" List

[Paul Finkelman]

Theology or ideology aside, I would argue against "living" people or even
very recently dead or retired (last few years) from being included in such
lists because we have not perspective.  As those of us trained in history
know, "current events" does not always make good history.

More fun,, of course, would be the 15 least significant justices!

Paul Finkelman

Rick Duncan wrote:

> If "unacceptable ideology" justifies a veto, then in
> my opinion Thurgood Marshall and William Brennan
> clearly do not belong on the list of great Justices.
>
> Or better yet, perhaps we should have two
> lists--"Great Liberal Justices" and "Great
> Conservative Justices." Hmmm. What about "Great
> Moderate Justices?" OK. Let's do 3 lists.
>
> Richard F. Duncan
> Welpton Professor of Law
> University of Nebraska College of Law
>
> --- Judith Baer <jbaer at POLITICS.TAMU.EDU> wrote:
> > In my opinion, Rehnquist no more belongs on the list
> > of great justice than
> > Reagan belongs on the list of great presidents, and
> > for the same reason:
> > unacceptable ideology.
> >
> > I do not think any list of criteria can exclude
> > normative factors.  I don't
> > propose a political test, but I think that there is
> > such a thing as opinions
> > which no responsible public official should hold.
> > WHR's part in Bush V.
> > Gore is one such Furthermore, some of the decisions
> > he has participated in,
> > like the recent 11th Amendment cases, are
> > incompetent readings of the
> > Constitution.
> >
> > Judy Baer
> > Texas A&M
> >
>
> =====
> "Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm."
>     --President George W. Bush (quoting John Page)
>
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--
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor
University of Tulsa College of Law
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