Scalia's Court: A Legacy of Landmark Opinions and Dissents

This is a review of the text layout of the hardcover version. It is a shame that so much thought went into the content of this book and so little into the format. The font size and spacing is fine. But why in the world, on one-third of the pages, are sentences pulled out and highlighted in a box, as in newspaper articles? It's distracting to the reader -- and even demeaning to the reader, as if the publishers thought that we can't face a page of plain text -- or select our own favorite passages. Another complaint, an unfathomable practice by the publisher, is to place the titles, even the numbered beginnings, of new sections at the very bottom of the page! These, added to the very poor paper quality, are examples of the deterioration of standards in the production of physical books.

This book is for anyone who has an interest in the United States Constitution, the role of the Supreme Court in the affairs of state, the personalities of those who sit in ultimate judgement within the context of our government, or who may simply want to enjoy the verbiage, mental processes, remarkable wit, and insights of one of our most important contemporary jurists......a man who shaped nearly single-handedly the manner the Constitution is to be viewed and interpreted in today's world . Justice Scalia's impact is recognizable across the Nation's federal judiciary. I view this as an important book and, as such, will send each of my adult grandchildren a copy to enjoy.

1 He believes there are issues best left to elected officials that bear clear responsibility and that can be voted out. The President and legislature exist for a reason. Stop creeping into their domains. Force/let them to do their own work. 2 Sometimes the court just makes stuff up, and he calls them on it in his dissents 3 He believes that legislative action can beneficially feel the people’s way through new issues, whereas Supreme Court rulings may be too rigid or lack evolutionary investigative nuance More could be said. Sing in the choir, or know your enemy, either is a good reason to read. It is readable, and you’ll encounter zingers in his opinions that you might not have expected in “dry” court documents.

My perspective reinforces Scalia's approach to USA Constitution interpretation -- a) addressed within the Constitution, b) historical basis, and c) established public support noting distinction between States and States vs. Federal reach. Opinions per cases presented illustrate Scalia's perspective as opposed to "magical" interpretations that either a) Congress, b) Executive, and/or c) the States should address as opposed to the USA Supreme Court. Said renderings of the Supreme Court become "law" across the USA. Given the length of time between possible similar cases, these "rulings" can and do make questionable the role of the USA Supreme Court.

One might not think that reading court opinions would be much fun, and for many of the esoteric cases the Supreme Court deals with it probably isn't, but this collection of opinions and dissents by the late Justice Scalia was entertaining and informative. Justice Scalia could really write! As a side benefit it got me back to rereading our Constitution and many parts of the Federalists Papers. It also, believe it or not, had me downloading and reading the complete cases; opinions, concurring opinions and dissents, of many of the cases covered in this fine book. Rhys Williams

I've always admired Justice Scalia but to tell the truth never really knew much about him other than his more famous opinions and dissents. After reading this book I feel as if I know him even better. Some of the opinions in this book are lesser known but definitely made me think about what I believe. In fact it even changed my opinion on a few things. His mastery of the English language and knowledge of history is astounding. I'm not a lawyer or legal scholar by any means so sometimes the book was challenging. However it definitely makes me want to learn more. I recommend to all who want to know what the Constitution truly means.

I miss my hero/

Scalia demonstrates an amazing clarity of insight when he analyzed problems. Is beneficial to study his thought process even if you're not a legal person and are in non-legal fields. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

This book brought me back to my law school days and my initial fascination with Judge Scalia's opinions. Always well thought out and often humorously written, he was a Jurist for the ages. Whether you are a proponent of his beliefs or not, you must respect his no holds bar approach in his decisions. He never minced words and always fell back to the text of the Constitution. A must read for anyone even remotely interested in SCOTUS.

Whether you love or hate Justice Scalia, Scalia's Court is a must read. In fact, before coming to a conclusion about how one feels about Scalia's jurisprudence one should read this book. Mr. Ring begins with a clear explanation of Justice Scalia's philosophy and compares it to other approaches (and non-spproaches). He has selected entertaining and informative Scalia opinions and edited them brilliantly, while providing just enough commentary on the background and facts so that even non-lawyers can enjoy. Scalia fans and even those who abhor him will benefit from digging into some of the wittiest, most thoughtful and prescient of his writings.

This is a review of the text layout of the hardcover version. It is a shame that so much thought went into the content of this book and so little into the format. The font size and spacing is fine. But why in the world, on one-third of the pages, are sentences pulled out and highlighted in a box, as in newspaper articles? It's distracting to the reader -- and even demeaning to the reader, as if the publishers thought that we can't face a page of plain text -- or select our own favorite passages. Another complaint, an unfathomable practice by the publisher, is to place the titles, even the numbered beginnings, of new sections at the very bottom of the page! These, added to the very poor paper quality, are examples of the deterioration of standards in the production of physical books.

This book is for anyone who has an interest in the United States Constitution, the role of the Supreme Court in the affairs of state, the personalities of those who sit in ultimate judgement within the context of our government, or who may simply want to enjoy the verbiage, mental processes, remarkable wit, and insights of one of our most important contemporary jurists......a man who shaped nearly single-handedly the manner the Constitution is to be viewed and interpreted in today's world . Justice Scalia's impact is recognizable across the Nation's federal judiciary. I view this as an important book and, as such, will send each of my adult grandchildren a copy to enjoy.

1 He believes there are issues best left to elected officials that bear clear responsibility and that can be voted out. The President and legislature exist for a reason. Stop creeping into their domains. Force/let them to do their own work. 2 Sometimes the court just makes stuff up, and he calls them on it in his dissents 3 He believes that legislative action can beneficially feel the people’s way through new issues, whereas Supreme Court rulings may be too rigid or lack evolutionary investigative nuance More could be said. Sing in the choir, or know your enemy, either is a good reason to read. It is readable, and you’ll encounter zingers in his opinions that you might not have expected in “dry” court documents.

My perspective reinforces Scalia's approach to USA Constitution interpretation -- a) addressed within the Constitution, b) historical basis, and c) established public support noting distinction between States and States vs. Federal reach. Opinions per cases presented illustrate Scalia's perspective as opposed to "magical" interpretations that either a) Congress, b) Executive, and/or c) the States should address as opposed to the USA Supreme Court. Said renderings of the Supreme Court become "law" across the USA. Given the length of time between possible similar cases, these "rulings" can and do make questionable the role of the USA Supreme Court.

One might not think that reading court opinions would be much fun, and for many of the esoteric cases the Supreme Court deals with it probably isn't, but this collection of opinions and dissents by the late Justice Scalia was entertaining and informative. Justice Scalia could really write! As a side benefit it got me back to rereading our Constitution and many parts of the Federalists Papers. It also, believe it or not, had me downloading and reading the complete cases; opinions, concurring opinions and dissents, of many of the cases covered in this fine book. Rhys Williams

I've always admired Justice Scalia but to tell the truth never really knew much about him other than his more famous opinions and dissents. After reading this book I feel as if I know him even better. Some of the opinions in this book are lesser known but definitely made me think about what I believe. In fact it even changed my opinion on a few things. His mastery of the English language and knowledge of history is astounding. I'm not a lawyer or legal scholar by any means so sometimes the book was challenging. However it definitely makes me want to learn more. I recommend to all who want to know what the Constitution truly means.

I miss my hero/

Scalia demonstrates an amazing clarity of insight when he analyzed problems. Is beneficial to study his thought process even if you're not a legal person and are in non-legal fields. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

This book brought me back to my law school days and my initial fascination with Judge Scalia's opinions. Always well thought out and often humorously written, he was a Jurist for the ages. Whether you are a proponent of his beliefs or not, you must respect his no holds bar approach in his decisions. He never minced words and always fell back to the text of the Constitution. A must read for anyone even remotely interested in SCOTUS.

Whether you love or hate Justice Scalia, Scalia's Court is a must read. In fact, before coming to a conclusion about how one feels about Scalia's jurisprudence one should read this book. Mr. Ring begins with a clear explanation of Justice Scalia's philosophy and compares it to other approaches (and non-spproaches). He has selected entertaining and informative Scalia opinions and edited them brilliantly, while providing just enough commentary on the background and facts so that even non-lawyers can enjoy. Scalia fans and even those who abhor him will benefit from digging into some of the wittiest, most thoughtful and prescient of his writings.

The book has a high quality dark green leather cover with vivid gold accents. It has a soft, lovely golden ribbon for a book mark. It arrived at our house in exceptional quality faster than expected. This book is an absolute must have for every personal library as Scalia was a remarkable man.

Don’t take my word for it. Justice Ginsburg has acknowledged that hw writes with a wonderful style. He explains well why he believes in what he expresses in his opinions. This book has a nice collection. I don’t know if the collection is optimal, but it is a good collection.

Purpose of the purchase: to get inight into Justice Scalia's reasoning and delight in his writing style.

What a giant in a court of mental midgets. His wisdom, wit, and ability to explain hard legal concepts in ways understandable by those who are not in the legal profession will be missed.

I have read only the first chapter so far and this book has grabbed me. Like Scalia or not, this is an excellent explanation of why he voted as he did and the basis of his opinions. Even Elena Kagan, who voted opposite to Scalia most of the time, respected his thoughts and opinions. He really did change how judges think about the law and how to decide cases. And it is not political or ideological, which is a nice change from the vitriol that is part of our daily news now. I am now about halfway thru the book and it is still 5 stars. His opinions are remarkably consistent in the thinking. Agree or not, his writing is thought-provoking. His use of language is fascinating.

ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL. WHAT A GREAT MAN. WISH ONE OF HIS SONS WOULD HAVE READ.

Bought this as a gift for one of my friends who is a retired federal attorney. He thinks a lot of Mr. Justice Scalia.

A difficult read and I'm a practicing attorney!

Scalia is a brilliant writer and thinker whether or not you agree with him.

Scalia was a literary genius! His sarcasm and humor are a great mix that makes the law enjoyable to read. I think his landmark decisions shaped the law we have today. I really recommend this book to anyone studying the law.

Great book. I would recommend this to anyone, not just a conservative, who is interested in learning more about how this great man came to view the Constitution and the role of the court.

This is a true tribute to a towering Justice in U.S. history. It captures the spirit and wit of a brilliant jurist.

Great summary of a magnigicant justice. May he rest in peace.

I received this book with the book sleeve torn. Not cool.

Although listed as "New", book is obviously not new. Dirty marks abound. What is considered "New" by Amazon.

recurring purchase - I love Scalia and makes great gift!

Amazing mind, towering intellect

Brilliant commentary on the law by one of the greatest Justices in American History

Great read

very good read

As a fellow alumni of the same school, I am using this as a bedtime reader. If the law doesn't put you to sleep, what will. It is interesting to read Judge Scalia's thoughts broken down into sixteen chapters regarding major concerns that are very applicable to today's politics.

Excellent book which explains and quotes Justice Scalia's opinions, confirming his status of a "once in a lifetime' Supreme Court Justice. The book is divided into specific legal issues linking many opinions, each strengthening the Justice's interpretation of the Constitution's principles. A must read and study for any Constitutionalist or skeptic of the importance of the Constitution in today's application of the law..

Gift for my granddaughter, a pre-law student

great

His opinions are extremely interesting and thought provoking.whether you come from the left or the right.

Outstanding book. It's based on different court cases that went in front of the Supreme Court. Judge Scalia breaks down word for word the exact meaning of the constitution in order to decide cases. His decisions are based entirely on the constitution and its laws. Excellent read!

Very interesting book on a great Supreme Court Justice.

Scalia's legacy and impact will be debated beyond our lifetimes. For the duration of that argument, Scalia's Court, thanks to Ring's expert curation and commentary, will endure as its unimprovable primer and guidebook.

What a timely book. A great collection of Justice Scalia's well-written and thoughtful opinions with concise explanations of the cases and issues preceding each opinion or group of opinions. Our country and its jurisprudence have suffered a great loss with his death. He will be missed.

ordered before He passed away and so glad I did. A good read.

Justice Scalia, excellent, what more needs to be said.

Full of great information. It takes a bit of study to understand the finer points but it is worth it.

Excellent!

Very good read.

great man

Great book, the man was a giant . . .

ok.jm

Bought this for my dad for father's day who loved Scalia, We truly lost a great one when Scalia died, he is greatly missed.

Fantastic book.

Excellent book about a great supreme court judge

I haven't finished it yet, but so far it's really interesting. What you read and hear in the news never tells the whole story, or does it explain anything. This book helps.

Kevin Ring has done a wonderful job capturing the essence of Justice Scalia's jurisprudence in a way that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. From Scalia's rapier-like wit to his stinging barbs to his deep intellect, it is all here. As America considers replacing this judicial giant, Ring's book comes at the perfect time and is a welcome reminder of what big shoes the next justice will have to fill. Ring honors Scalia's memory and the indelible mark he's made on our country. And it's a great read to boot. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

While it my be a bit thick for beach reading, lawyers and non-lawyers alike will appreciate the well-organized collection of some of the best, and most famous Scalia opinions from his noted career, along with Ring's concise commentary to help set the stage for the each opinion. As the author writes in his intro, "What set Scalia apart was his ability to communicate the conservative judicial philosophy in a passionate, persuasive, and entertaining manner." Ring's writing continues in the same manner in his latest volume on Scalia's decisions. For the most part, the author lets the book's subject do most of the writing, printing Scalia's opinions (without the detailed footnotes and case references) in an easy-to-read format, organized by subject (chapters on Gun Rights, Sep. of Powers, Religious Freedom, Homosexuality, Free Speech, and Obamacare, for example). This book stands out from just a random Google or Lexis-Nexus search of Scalia's opinions because it highlights (with helpful introductions) why even his opposing Supreme Court Justices praised his intellect and passion. As an added benefit, I finally had a chance to read the context around that famous line I kept seeing referenced after his death: "Pure applesauce." (pg 512)! Isn't hard to recommend this book! Will be on a lot of my gift and wish lists, for sure!

If you liked Justice Scalia or care about the future of the Supreme Court, this is a book you must have. Kevin Ring explains Scalia’s judicial philosophy and discusses how he changed the court and the law. Then, he showcases Scalia’s greatest opinions – on affirmative action, abortion, Obamacare, gun rights, immigration, and religion freedom, and others. The opinions cover Scalia’s entire career. This is not a biography where you will learn all about Scalia’s life. This is the book to buy if you want to read for yourself how Scalia interpreted the Constitution and why the fight to replace him will be so difficult.

Along with judicial philosophy, Ring cites Scalia's literary style, calling him a verbal craftsman. He was a self proclaimed 'textualist' rather than the more commonly applied 'originalist', feeling that the Constitution, as well as other written law, means what it says and changes should be made by legislative process, not the judiciary. He deplored loose interpretation of the Commerce Clause as well as “common good and “general welfare.” He cited the danger of a progressive “living Constitution” whereby torturing the text is used to derive modern meaning only suitable to a judges preferences. He was not a fan of substantive due process or expansion of meaning of the 13th and 14th Amendments. These things have contributed to expansive government role in the legislative process and court ratification of social engineering by judicial process. Separation of powers is more important than the BofR. The book contains lengthy opinion examples organized by fields of race, abortion, religious freedom, freedom of speech, gun control, rights of accused, illegal immigration, gender equality, and Obamacare. He wanted the court to stay out of controversies where the Constitution had nothing to say. He was extremely adept at citing prior opinions to back his own. Blackstone and Brandeis are used often along with Coke, Hume, Story with many others. With caustic wit, he deplores the decline of the Court from Marshall and Story to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie. I don't pretend to understand all of the content. Scalia's lengthy opinions are not edited over well. There is at least one unintentional repetition. Still I appreciate that there is not the frequent dumbing down for popular reading. Scalia's legacy is given by short editorials by Cass Sunstein Jeffrey Rosen and Scalia's colleagues on the Court in lieu of the editor who presumably collects royalties on the book. The book is convincing of the loss of Justice Scalia to the SC. Let's hope that President Trump can find a suitable replacement. Five stars for Scalia's writing of his opinions, slightly less for the editing job.

Bravo to Kevin Ring. Scalia’s Court is a timely reminder of why Antonin Scalia was a great Justice and why his sharp analysis and biting humor will be so sorely missed. Mr. Ring’s compilation of Scalia’s most significant decisions and dissents help us understand the judicial philosophy of a legal giant. He showcases Scalia’s humility and humor as well as his unforgiving sarcasm toward a Court that has bestowed upon itself the responsibilities of all three branches of government. Ring’s selection of opinions, and his excellent analysis of each, makes Scalia’s Court enjoyable for the casual reader, and a must-have reference book for law students and concerned citizens alike.

A fascinating work! This is a large anthology of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s legal opinion that he penned in landmark Supreme Court cases. It brought back memories of reading Supreme Court decisions back in my undergraduate days in UCLA. The subject of this work is fascinating but in light of my busy schedule with work and other readings I knew I wasn’t going to read this 592 page book anytime soon. However discovering that this book was available in audiobook format was just too good to resist. I am glad I listened to this as an audio book. Other than the introduction, chapter one and the epilogue the bulk of the book feature Scalia’s legal writings arranged by topic grouped into chapters. Each topical chapters also feature some brief explanation and summaries from the author Kevin Ring before the court case opinions of Justice Scalia were presented. In terms of recent justices on the bench of the Supreme Court I always felt Scalia was often the most interesting and well written. Of course I’m bias as someone who is largely a political conservative. But I think the author is right in the book in making the point that there’s some great legal reasoning Scalia presents that even those who normally disagree with him can be persuaded to adopt or at minimum a force to reckon with. I do think objectively speaking Scalia is one of the more witty and colorful writer in the Supreme Court in recent memory. While at times Scalia was in the minority opinion in some court cases yet because of his writing ability and his sharp mind what he has to say is memorable and thought provoking. While I enjoyed all the topics that was featured in the book I thought the chapters on religious freedom was my favorite. Who can forget Scalia’s critique of the problem with the three prongs of the Lemon test with the following summary that the Lemon Test was a “ghoul in a late-night horror movie that repeatedly sits up in its grave and shuffles abroad, after being repeatedly killed and buried.” I also enjoyed the chapter on freedom of speech and the first chapter by the author Kevin Ring describing the judicial philosophy of Justice Scalia. I thought the first chapter was very important in clarifying to general readers concerning Scalia’s approach and explaining that Scalia’s “Originalism” was not an extreme caricature letterism of the Constitution.

Conservative commentator George Will recently wrote that Justice Antonin Scalia seems “more revered than read by many conservatives.” It’s likely he’s also more reviled than read by many liberals. Indeed, one of the most interesting things about Justice Scalia is the disconnect between what people think they know about his approach to the law, and how he actually approached the law. Thank goodness, then, for Kevin Ring and this new book. To say that a book is for everyone is cliché, but in many ways it’s apt for “Scalia’s Court.” Whether you loved him or hated him (and, if you’re reading this, chances are it’s one or the other), this book is a tremendous resource for anyone who wants a better understanding of one of the most important jurists of the modern era. “Scalia’s Court” is also appropriate for a wide audience. You don’t need to be a lawyer or a law student to follow along, and Ring does an excellent job of organizing the opinions by familiar topics, and offering insights into the opinions by way of interesting introductions. You might be familiar with Justice Scalia’s opinions and you want to revisit them, or you might be in the (enviable!) position of being introduced to Justice Scalia’s wonderful wit and sharp logic for the first time. Either way, “Scalia’s Court” is for you. Three things are certain for anyone who reads this book. First, you will be entertained. Second, you will be surprised. Something in one of Justice Scalia’s opinions will be different from what you expected he’d write. (This alone is worth the price of the book.) Lastly, you will come away with a rich understanding of Justice Scalia’s jurisprudence. “Scalia’s Court” is a deep dive into a fascinating subject – one that will be rightly studied and debated for generations. You can get a head start on that conversation by picking up this book!

Scalia’s Court is a collection of late justice’s judicial opinions. Scalia’s Court is lightly edited by Kevin Ring. Ring did an excellent in collecting judicial opinions into meaningful groups (gun rights, abortion etc.) and providing the reader appropriate context as well as some brief, but relevant commentary. There is a little hero worship in the commentary, but Ring still deserves five stars for putting together a fine book. However, as more than ninety percent of the text is Scalia in his own words, how many stars does Scalia deserve? In some of his opinions Scalia deserves five stars. This reviewer was particularly impressed with the clarity and reasoning in cases involving modifying the rules of professional golf for a person with a disability, campaign finance reform, and a case concerning tax credits and Obamacare. However, in other cases, despite his (and Ring’s) assertions to contrary, Scalia’s own personal conservative views were quite evident, this was particularly true in cases involving abortion or gay rights. In others, his logic was flawed. For instance, in marshalling his argument against gun control he repeatedly cited the prevalence of handguns. While I agree with his conclusion, his reasoning being based on the prevalence of gun ownership is bogus. If sheer numbers mattered, then given the high prevalence of drug use, there would be a constitutional right to use illicit substances. By far his worse opinion, was his dissent in case regarding state support of the all-male military college (VMI). To support his opinion Scalia quoted at lengthy from VMI’s code of personal conduct. Basing a legal ruling on the plaintiff’s personal belief system is simply not good jurisprudence. So in summary, Ring deserves five stars, Scalia three. Splitting the difference the book, Scalia’s Court, deserves four stars.

Kevin Ring brings Justice Scalia's decisions to life in a concise and understandable way. This is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read and I read lots of books! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves America and what we stand for. Read it before November because it will help you understand the importance of having good people in this position!