The Interpenetration of Narrow Construction and Policy: Mr. Justice Stevens' Circuit Opinions

Authors

Brandon Becker
Michael F. Walsh

Library of Congress Authority File

http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79122466

Document Type

Comments

Abstract

Considered in isolation, opinions present a severely fragmented view of the Justice's personal approach to decisionmaking. A myriad of factors constricts the expression of individual beliefs on the bench: the quality of the bar which shapes the issues, a collegial court which requires the accommodation of other judgments, the advocatory nature of an opinion, the inability to articulate the reasons for a decision, and the avoidance of personal statements. Within these restrictions, this Comment will examine Justice Stevens' approach to documentary construction and discern his attitudes toward constitutional decisionmaking.

Recommended Citation

Brandon Becker & Michael F. Walsh, The Interpenetration of Narrow Construction and Policy: Mr. Justice Stevens' Circuit Opinions, 13 San Diego L. Rev. 899 (1976).
Available at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/sdlr/vol13/iss4/7