Justice Breyer’s legacy and the future of the Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement this week, with plans to likely end his time on the bench by the end of the summer. The 83-year-old justice, appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994, is the oldest court member and one of its only three liberal justices. President Biden has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court, a historic first, and is expected to have his choice confirmed, as SCOTUS nominees are exempt from filibuster and only require a simple majority vote.

Today, we’ll look at Breyer’s legacy, talk with a former Breyer law clerk, discuss President Biden’s possible nominees and the effect a new justice could have on the future of the court.

Guest:

Theodore Ruger, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. He was a law clerk to Justice Breyer.

Lisa Tucker,  associate professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Jeffrey Rosen, CEO and President of the National Constitution Center and a professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. He’s the author of Conversations With RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law. @rosenjeffrey