William J. Brennan Jr.

William J. Brennan Jr. was an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990, known for shaping constitutional law through influential liberal opinions.

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan: A 1964 Supreme Court decision requiring public officials to prove actual malice to win defamation damages over official conduct. Brennan’s opinion established the actual-malice rule as a safeguard for robust criticism of government.
Living constitutionalism: An approach to constitutional interpretation that treats constitutional meaning as capable of adapting to changing circumstances. Brennan argued that constitutional guarantees must remain meaningful as society changes.
Earl Warren: The 14th chief justice of the United States, who led the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969. Warren and Brennan formed a leading alliance behind major civil-rights and individual-rights decisions.
Originalism: A method of constitutional interpretation that gives primary weight to the text’s original public meaning or expected application. Brennan rejected originalism as an adequate limit on constitutional interpretation in a changing society.
Baker v. Carr: A 1962 Supreme Court decision holding that federal courts could hear challenges to legislative apportionment under the Equal Protection Clause. Brennan’s opinion opened the federal courts to challenges against unequal representation.
Precedent: A prior judicial decision that guides or constrains the resolution of later cases. Brennan often built expansive rights arguments from established decisions rather than treating each case in isolation.
Thurgood Marshall: An American lawyer and jurist who served as a Supreme Court justice from 1967 to 1991. Marshall and Brennan frequently joined in opinions protecting civil liberties and equal rights.
Judicial restraint: A judicial philosophy favoring limited intervention in legislative and executive decisions. Brennan’s willingness to enforce broad rights protections often conflicted with restraint-based objections.
Goldberg v. Kelly: A 1970 Supreme Court decision requiring an evidentiary hearing before states terminate welfare benefits. Brennan’s majority opinion extended procedural due process to public assistance.
Fourteenth Amendment: The U.S. constitutional amendment guaranteeing citizenship, due process, and equal protection against state action. Its Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses anchored many of Brennan’s rights opinions.

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Felix FrankfurterCompared with: Brennan's rights-centered approach often opposed Frankfurter's restraint and deference.