Inthecurrentlegalclimatewhere“everyoneisanoriginalist,“conventionalwisdomsuggeststhatjudgesmerelyfindlaw,ratherthanmakeit.Orthodoxcommon-lawjurisprudencemakesfidelitytothepastthecentralgoalandcriterion.Bycontrast,thealternativeapproach,“readingthelawforward“--whatsomecalljudicialpragmatismorconsequentialism--isviewedasheretical.Ratherthanmountatheoreticaldefenseofaforward-thinkingjurisprudence,legalhistorianPeterCharlesHofferoffersanempiricalstudyofhowthisapproachtoconstitutionalinterpretationactuallyleadstobetterlaw.ReadingLawForwardlooksatsevenjudgeswhoexemplifythisalternativejurisprudence:JohnMarshall,JosephStory,LemuelShaw,LouisD.Brandeis,BenjaminCardozo,WilliamO.Douglas,andStephenG.Breyer.“InthehandsofAmerica’sleadingjudges,ajurisprudenceofreadinglawforwardenabledcourtstorespondtothechallengesofchangingconditions.Itkeptlawfresh.Itpromotedandstillpromotesthegrowthofademocraticsociety,“Hofferconvincinglyargues.
DOUGLAS FORWARD LOUISD LAW READING
