Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court - Term Paper Example

Reaction Paper 2 Reaction Paper 2 The Nine is an exceptional book on the justice system of America and the leadership of the Supreme Court written by Jeffrey Toobin. One of the key concepts discussed in this book in detail is the aspect of the constitution and the justice pillars of America. The Nine explores concepts of law such as the adherence of the legal statutes and mandates as one of the key strategies employed when deciding what is to be allowed and disallowed in law. It also states the various mechanisms that are widely used in the legal system to make decisions of sentences to criminals and other offenders of the law.

However, the book also explores the concept that the legal system is based on past experiences of some of the Supreme Court judges who try to justify some of the actions in their past or that of people they know. The book also explores the concept of liberalism and conservatism of the Supreme Court judges. The author indicates that understanding how laws are made in the Supreme Court and the exploring the implementation of constitutionalism is institutional to deciding the path to be taken by judges.

For instance, the author focuses on the fact that conservatives have tried tirelessly to get into the Supreme Court and change the manner in which laws are made in the country as well as to preserve fair justice. The concept of liberalism in the courts of justice is thus a key issue that has been discussed in detail throughout the book. Arguably, one of the ways through which the government can ensure that such issues are resolved is through consensus. The triumph of liberal beliefs and laws is common over the conservative beliefs.

The book has discussed in detail some of the key players in the Supreme Court justice and politics. Some have been highlighted as heroes to the law, whereas others are depicted as the villains. Some of the key players that have been recurrently mentioned throughout the book include Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Sandra O’Connor, John Paul Stevens and George Bush (Toobin, 2007). The leadership of the Supreme Court under these individuals has been discussed in detail, indicating each of the changes and contributions that the leaders of the Supreme Court have had on the organization and its success.

Additionally, the book describes in detail some of the intellectual capacities of each of the leaders have been mentioned as well. Arguably, the book is both entertaining and realistic. Toobin uses an intellectual and informative approach to narration that illuminates serious matters by bringing in a concept of humor. Counterrevolution has also been discussed in the book extensively. The counterrevolution era highlighted within the book is the struggle for liberals and conservatives to steer the direction of the law.

In the hands of liberals, the Supreme Court was seen to make and change laws variably. However, the conservatives wanted to control or steer Supreme Court started a revolution that would see more conservative Judges lead the Supreme Court (Toobin, 2007). The Counterrevolution, as described throughout the book, is a period in which the liberal Supreme Court heads would struggle to maintain the leadership of the court in the hands of the liberals. The Counterrevolution included a series of changes in the Supreme Court leadership and succession plans that had long been put in place, by nine judges, and hence the name of the book.

O’Connor has been listed as one of the people who introduced the Counterrevolution. The Counter-revolution was introduced by the changes in the justice system in which Sandra O’Connor changed the decisions of most cases with her main aim on giving people what they want. This approach entailed a liberal view of what punishments were necessary, and what changes needed to be done to make sure that people were happy with the justice system. The detailing of the proceedings of the counter-revolution has been discussed in much detail throughout the book.

Another major influence to the counterrevolution era was Earl Warren who was a chief Justice from 1953 to 1959. Warren was among the few people who outlawed segregation and shaped the American law system into the rather liberal system we have today. The Nine has discussed in detail some of the people who had the greatest influence on the American legal system. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the legal system and whoever heads it or the group of judges working with the Chief Justice decides the direction of the law.

The Nine covers some of the parties that had the greatest influences on the justice system who include the likes of O’Connor, Earl Warren, and Rehnquist. The book also explores the legacy of the Rehnquist Court, which like Warrens and O’Connor has made a number of changes to the American legal system shaping it into the current system we have today. As such, the book is more about the changes in the legal system and the decision-making paradigms used by the Supreme Court, than it is about the leadership of some of the most influential Chief Justices in 20th Century America.

Reference Toobin, J. (2007). The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. New York: Doubleday.