Description

---

An eye-opening look by a renowned expert at one of the most important institutions in American democracy.

To many Americans, the United States Supreme Court continues to loom large as an unimpeachable symbol of the rule of law and the triumph of justice. But behind that towering façade there has been so much infighting, intrigue, and backstabbing that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. reportedly once described the court as “nine scorpions in a bottle.”

Nobody appreciated this more than Max Lerner, the acknowledged dean of Supreme Court observers. From the seminal articles he wrote for the Yale Law Journal in the 1930s to the New York Post columns that ran almost until his death in 1992, Lerner demystified the court and strove to uncover the historical, social, and psychological underpinnings of its landmark decisions. He believed in the majesty and the mystique it holds, but was clear-eyed about its human dimensions and moments of shame. Here are Lerner’s celebrated portraits of John Marshall, Louis Brandeis, Felix Frankfurter, Hugo Black, Earl Warren, and of course Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., whose judicial vision Lerner most respected. Here, too, are his timeless discussions of the cases that continue to shape American society, such as Brown v. Board of Education, US v. Nixon, and Roe v. Wade. With a new preface for this edition, Nine Scorpions in a Bottle follows Max Lerner’s lifetime examination of the American way of law case by case, justice by justice, and will enrich every reader’s understanding of the Supreme

About the Author

---

Max Lerner is the author of, among many other works, America as a Civilization, The Unfinished Country, and Wrestling with the Angel. For the last twenty years of his life, he wrote a highly respected, widely syndicated newspaper column. He died on June 5, 1992.

Praise For…

---

“With passion and fire, Max Lerner shook the foundations of the legal left and right, as demonstrated in this collection.” —Digby Diehl, Playboy

“A record of a wise temperament grappling with the substance of governing . . . Rare, refreshing, and well worth reading.” —Boston Globe

“It would be difficult for me to think of anyone who was more of a teacher or mentor to me. . . . [Lerner] used to joke that he learned everything he knew about philosophy from me, and I learned everything I knew about sex from him.” —Hugh Hefner

"This notable volume collects a range of [Lerner's] essays, augmented by his reflective introductions. . . . His insights have not grown stale." —Publishers Weekly

“With passion and fire, Max Lerner shook the foundations of the legal left and right, as demonstrated in this collection.” —Digby Diehl, Playboy

“A record of a wise temperament grappling with the substance of governing . . . Rare, refreshing, and well worth reading.” —Boston Globe

“It would be difficult for me to think of anyone who was more of a teacher or mentor to me. . . . [Lerner] used to joke that he learned everything he knew about philosophy from me, and I learned everything I knew about sex from him.” —Hugh Hefner

"This notable volume collects a range of [Lerner's] essays, augmented by his reflective introductions. . . . His insights have not grown stale." —Publishers Weekly