David Adler Columns

He was an advocate to be feared

His most famous dissent would influence courts for decades to come

"The life of the law has not been logic: it has been experience."

Some observers noted that the reference was an appeal to public opinion

He was one of the greatest legal figures in the 19th Century

Outward appearances often masked the thoughtful, brilliant man underneath

Virtually no one doubts his preeminent status in America law

A docket with a paucity of cases deprived him of writing many influential opinions

Jay was viewed as the country’s leading expert on foreign affairs

Ultimately, we know relatively little about our Justices

The Framers of the Constitution created a limited presidency

July 4th yields important discussions about the document itself

It was called “the most important case ... for American democracy"

The president does not have absolute, but indeed merely limited, authority

The question has been raised at other junctures in American history

Several states are likely to pass such bills in the near term

Simply put, the clause declares to the world that America pays its bills

Though unanimous, the justices had different rationales for striking down the law

The prohibition on religious tests was a reaction to English practice

The decision raises profoundly important questions about judicial independence

Are justices and federal judges subject to impeachment?

How do new legal theories become established legal principles?

The issues in the suit are likely to be replicated across the nation

The individual right to privacy carved a path for subsequent assertions

1964 was a pivotal year in the civil rights movement

The decision saved the American dairy industry

Farmers organized politically to counter the power of the railroads.

The clause enabled congressional representatives to fulfill their public duties

For the nation’s chief executive, there is no greater stage

Freedom of speech is a powerful tool, exercised to expose impoverished opinions

The Constitution is silent on the repository of authority to classify documents

It's the authoritative ruling on symbolic speech rights for students

The opinion has still not been overruled

Does Congress have the authority to refuse to seat a duly elected candidate

The citizenry bears a special responsibility to defend our Constitution

No special dispensation is required to permit prosecution of a citizen

"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for"

Although the Constitution is indestructible, it is yet subject to amendments

Does a nativity display violate the First Amendment?

The court built protection for freedom of the press against governmental censorship

Programs have suffered declining public support since the 1978 ruling

It's a reminder of the American ideal that all are equal in the eyes of the law

The 1996 decision exalted women’s rights under the Equal Protection Clause

The Court for the first-time treated women as a separate class

Not every landmark decision championed the rights of Americans

Nothing in the Constitution empowers the president to repeal an act of Congress

In short, this decision was a blockbuster

The stunning 1937 decision came with enormous economic and societal importance

This helped protect women and children from exploitation

The decision rendered racial covenants unenforceable

The opinion reflected the determination to create one rule for rich and poor alike

The landmark ruling affirmed marriage as a fundamental right

The case represented a historic moment for its influence on constitutional law

The decision was a national disaster — one that will live in infamy

It represents a cautionary tale for a nation that might willingly scatter its principles

The Constitution springs from the hands of the sovereign people, not the states

This case explored the extent of federal power and the limits of state authority

The Court’s ruling was explosive in its impact

The Constitution's framers refused to vest emergency power with the president.

Does the president possess an inherent power, often referred to as emergency power?

The fact is Congress had not authorized the president to seize private property

It has achieved landmark status and deserving rank in the pantheon of “great” cases

This represented a powerful blow to one of the remaining remnants of Jim Crow

The two interpretations often have been the subject of debate

The Court had a dramatic reversal in just three short years

The Court had declared the existence of a wall separating church and state

This ruling foreshadowed the controversy that surrounds us to this day

The Court held that separate but equal educational facilities are “inherently unequal”

The ruling is in the pantheon of America’s greatest judicial decisions

The Chief Justice’s simple approach appealed to the ultimate human values involved

Unpredictable twists and turns shape American constitutional law

He became “the great dissenter” in American constitutional history

Not all landmark Supreme Court decisions are admirable

Armed with knowledge about the war, the Russian people might rise in opposition

The decision opened a window onto the government’s decision-making...and deceit

Even Jefferson observed that newspapers were indispensable to "the people's right to know"

Criticism of government and public officials is the central meaning of the 1st Amendment

The case checks all the definitional boxes of a landmark ruling

Seldom has a dissenting opinion attained landmark status

Justices can and do change their minds about the meaning of the Constitution

America’s free speech story did not begin until World War I

How can the president be held accountable

Many legal scholars believe it's the most important decision rendered by the Supreme Court

The case appeared to threaten the very existence of the United States as a nation

The authority of the federal courts to review and judge state acts and laws indispensable

The writings represented the matured conclusions of the framers of the Constitution

The citizenry is entitled to understand the sources of this constitutional power

The power of judicial review ensures that we could say: 'the government cannot do this'

Of necessity, we need better acquaintance with key Supreme Court rulings

With Nixon, the Court supplied a legal limb for the assertion of executive privilege

Our Constitution is absent of any mention of executive privilege

The framers knew that they could not anticipate the ways in which the nation would change

Just 40% of Americans approve of the performance of the nation’s highest tribunal

The laws governing reproductive rights continue to spike controversy across America

The case established that right as a fixed star in our constitutional constellation

To many, it's as thoroughly indispensable to our conception of liberty and freedom.

The Court bears the great responsibility of explaining its reasoning to the people.

Partisanship is just one of the controlling levers of constitutional understanding.