Thank you for inviting me to deliver a lecture to the New-York Historical Society. I am a great admirer of the Society’s commitment to preserving the history of the United States. And I am glad you are continuing to increase the public’s awareness of the Supreme Court’s contributions to our nation’s history.
This is an especially interesting time for the Society to be discussing the Court because it is, for the fourth time in the past 15 years, about to have a change in its membership. As soon as my friend and colleague Justice Stevens announced his intent to retire, public speculation began as to whom President Obama would nominate to replace him. Commentators will begin discussing and debating the nominee’s legal views and how the presence of a new member will affect the Court’s decisions. The public’s interest in a change in the Court’s membership reminds us that the Court, for all the technical cases it decides, also can decide controversial, contentious cases that raise questions that lie at the heart of contemporary political debates.
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