Synopses & Reviews
What makes a great judge? How are reputations forged? Why do some reputations endure, while others crumble? And how can we know whether a reputation is fairly deserved? In this ambitious book, Richard Posner confronts these questions in the case of Benjamin Cardozo. The result is both a revealing portrait of one of the most influential legal minds of our century and a model for a new kind of studyand#8212;a balanced, objective, critical assessment of a judicial career.
"The present compact and unflaggingly interesting volume . . . is a full-bodied scholarly biography. . . .It is illuminating in itself, and will serve as a significant contribution."and#8212;Paul A. Freund, New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
In this ambitious book, Richard Posner confronts these questions in the case of Benjamin Cardozo. The result is both a revealing portrait of one of the most influential legal minds of our century and a model for a new kind of study---a balanced, objective, critical assessment of a judicial career.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Life, the Person, the Reputation
2. Cardozo's Judicial Philosophy
3. Cardozo's Judicial Technique
4. Reputation in General
5. Cardozo's Reputation: Measures of Magnitude
6. Cardozo's Judicial Contribution
7. A Summary with Comparisons
Epilogue: Vistas in Research
Index