John Paul Stevens (Photo by Allison Shelley/Getty Images)
A lot of digital ink will (rightfully) be spilled today memorializing the late Justice John Paul Stevens. The man had a long career on the Supreme Court — 34 years — and penned some landmark decisions. Plenty of commentators will attempt to put Justice Stevens, and his jurisprudence, into properly historical context over the next few days, but this post will do something a little different.
Above the Law has a wide audience of lawyers and law students, and so we want to know what you think was the late justice’s most memorable decision.
Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984)
Stevens wrote the incredibly influential Chevron decision which gave administrative agencies deference over their interpretation of ambiguous statutes. The case became an insta-classic that’s been cited a shit-ton by lower courts and is a cornerstone of the modern regulatory regime.
Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, 553 U.S. 181 (2008)
Not every opinion he wrote became a backbone of liberal thought. In this case, he sided with the Republicans and held states can require people to provide photographic identification in order to vote.
Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978)
Another case where Justice Stevens sided with the conservatives. In this case, he held the FCC can regulate indecent content — in this case, a George Carlin comedy routine — without violating the First Amendment.
Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997)
In a case that’s still relevant today, ahem, Steven wrote for the majority that a sitting president is not immune from civil lawsuits for actions taken before they became president or unrelated to the office.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010)
Stevens also knew how to launch a blistering dissent, and he did so in this case when the majority opened the floodgates to corporate influence over elections.
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008)
Another time that Stevens unleashed on the majority decision in a fantastic dissent, this time when they struck down the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975.
Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000)
A final dissent to consider as the most memorable of Stevens’s opinions. This case decided the fate of the 2000 election, and Stevens was none too happy about the way it all went down.
So what do you think was Justice Stevens’s most memorable opinion?
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).