David Souter
David Souter
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
David Hackett Souter was an American jurist who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1990 to 2009.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on September 17, 1939, in Melrose, Massachusetts. He passed away on May 15, 2022, at the age of 82.
Nationality and Profession(s)
American judge, lawyer, and academic.
Early Life and Background
David Souter grew up in a family that valued education and public service. His father was a lawyer who served as a judge, and his mother was a teacher. Souter's early life was marked by a strong interest in history and politics. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, before enrolling at Harvard University.
At Harvard, Souter studied government and graduated magna cum laude in 1961. He then went on to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1966. After completing his education, Souter clerked for Justice Arthur J. Goldberg of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Major Accomplishments
Souter's most notable accomplishment was serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1990 to 2009. During his tenure on the Court, he voted with the liberal bloc in many cases and played a crucial role in shaping the Court's decisions on issues such as gun control, affirmative action, and campaign finance.
One of Souter's most significant opinions was in the case _Lawrence v. Texas_ (2003), where he wrote that a law prohibiting homosexual sodomy was unconstitutional. This decision helped to establish the principle that same-sex couples have the right to engage in consensual sexual activity.
Notable Works or Actions
In addition to his work on the Supreme Court, Souter served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1983 to 1990. He also taught law at Harvard Law School and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Souter was known for his moderate and independent approach to judging. He often took a more conservative view than some of his liberal colleagues, but he also showed a willingness to consider different perspectives and reach decisions that were grounded in the law rather than ideology.
Impact and Legacy
David Souter's impact on American jurisprudence is significant. His opinions on issues such as gun control, affirmative action, and campaign finance have helped shape the Court's decisions on these matters. His commitment to judicial independence and his willingness to consider different perspectives have made him a respected figure in the legal community.
Souter's legacy extends beyond his work on the Supreme Court. He has inspired a new generation of judges and lawyers who value fairness, impartiality, and the rule of law. His commitment to public service and education has also left a lasting impact on American society.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
David Souter is widely quoted and remembered for his thoughtful and principled approach to judging. His opinions and writings have been studied by law students and scholars around the world, and his legacy continues to inspire those who value fairness, impartiality, and the rule of law.
As a jurist, Souter was known for his ability to think critically and independently. He often took a more nuanced view than some of his colleagues, considering multiple perspectives before reaching a decision. This approach has made him a respected figure in the legal community, and his opinions continue to be widely studied and debated today.
Quotes by David Souter
The law schools are taking a position on First Amendment grounds, and that position is in interference with military recruiting, no question about it.
The Constitution is a pantheon of values, and a lot of hard cases are hard because the Constitution gives no simple rule of decision for the cases in which one of the values is truly at odds with another.
The Constitution is no simple contract, not because it uses a certain amount of open-ended language, but because its language grants and guarantees many good things, and good things that compete with each other and can never all be realized, altogether, all at once.
The challenger has an uphill fight. If he's lucky enough to win and gets to the general election, he's going to be broke.
The court has to decide which of our approved desires has the better claim, right here, right now, and a court has to do more than read fairly when it makes this kind of choice.
The Court's majority holds that the Establishment Clause is no bar to Ohio's payment of tuition at private religious elementary and middle schools under a scheme that systematically provides tax money to support the schools' religious missions.
The language of the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection of the laws did not change between 1896 and 1954, and it would be very hard to say that the obvious facts on which 'Plessy' was based had changed.
The obligation of any judge is to decide the case before the court, and the nature of the issue presented will largely determine the appropriate scope of the principle on which its decision should rest.
It may be that the seemingly intrinsic attraction that past time has for me is merely a desire for escapism, as I look out at the nation and world with little optimism.
Ellis Island lies in New York Harbor 1,300 feet from Jersey City, New Jersey, and one mile from the tip of Manhattan. At the time of the first European settlement, it was mostly mud, sand, and oyster shells, which nearly disappeared at high tide.