Product Description

In his fifteen years as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has written nearly 350 opinions. Thousands of Thomas's eloquent and thoughtful words are thus available for Americans to examine. Yet much of the public still bases its opinion of Thomas on the words of the American media, going as far back as the bruising confirmation battle of 1991. Widespread, uncritical acceptance of glib assumptions has greatly distorted the record and even the character of this formidable justice. This book offers readers the opportunity to consider the real Clarence Thomas-the formidable intellectual and defender of the Constitution, amply represented by his writings. It analyzes his most important majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions from 1991 through 2006. The author argues that Thomas's opinions reveal a consistent adherence to the principles of federalism, separation of powers, limited judicial review, and regard for individual rights as contemplated by the framers of the Constitution. An appendix contains a list of every opinion Thomas has written and notes whether it was a majority, concurring, or dissenting opinion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #919805 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-24
• Released on: 2007-01-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 232 pages

About the Author
Henry Mark Holzer is a professor emeritus at Brooklyn Law School. He is the coauthor of "Aid and Comfort" (2002, reprinted in softcover in 2006).

Customer Reviews

An underrated gem
Clarence Thomas is the most disparaged Supreme Court justice in history. In my view, improperly. This book does an excellent job evaluating his judicial philosophy through his opinions--whether majority, concurring, or dissenting. Holzer weaves his own understanding of Thomas's originalist philosophy with Thomas's own words through his published opinions. I am unaware of this type of analysis of Thomas's work, and think it is about time someone took an objective, even sympathetic, look at his rulings. I recently finished Thomas's memoir, "My Grandfather's Son" and combining that with this work, my regard for Thomas has only increased. The book is thoughtful, well-organized, and carries a good balance of Thomas's writings and Holzer's introductory and analytic comments. If I could add anything to the book, I would like an extended chapter, by Thomas himself, providing a detailed look at what he thinks originalism is and why it is important. I view this book as a valuable addition to my library. In addition, like the book, "Scalia Dissents," it is a pleasure to read.

A Brief review of Justice Thomas' Supreme Court opinions
Henry Mark Holzer has written a carefully-researched analysis of Justice Thomas' opinions and especially, his dissents. He concludes that Thomas consistently seeks the Framers' intent in his decisions, giving Americans a true constitutional defender on the Court.

Excellent analysis
This is a fair, balanced and complete review of the significant elements of Justice Thomas's jurisprudence. Unlike the media, which often ignores or misrepresents Thomas's opinions, the author has provided a clear and objective account of the justice's work. This is a higly readable book and certainly an important addition to the Supreme Court bibliography.