Supreme Court gets personal in insider’s tale

The verdict is in, and, simply put, this is one of the most intimate books ever written about the United States Supreme Court.

Jeffrey Toobin, senior legal analyst for CNN and a staff writer for The New Yorker, delves into the historical, political and personal inner workings of the Supreme Court and its justices. His highly readable new book presents vivid, personal portraits of the justices, the arduous confirmation processes and the eventual shift to the conservative right that Republicans have been pursuing for nearly three decades.

One of Toobin’s most important sources was Sandra Day O’Connor, the justice who cast the deciding vote in Bush v. Gore that decided the 2000 presidential election. Even though she came to regret her vote, it was Justice David Souter who almost resigned from the high court following its decision, according to Toobin. Only after the urging of a handful of close friends did he decide to stay, but his attitude toward the court was never the same.

Based on exclusive interviews with Supreme Court justices and other intimates, “The Nine” is a breathtaking book. It examines the court from the Rehnquist years through the first full term of the Roberts Court, a term which ended with a series of blockbuster opinions issued this past spring.

Toobin offers a rare, personal look at how the individual style of each justice affects the way they wield their considerable powers, and that is one of the major strengths of the book. With control of the Supreme Court a crucial issue in the upcoming presidential elections, every American needs to better understand how the court operates and the huge role it will play in our near future.