Nearly Five Years Later, Justice Barrett’s Memoir Has A Publication Date
Earlier this month, I queried where Justice Barrett’s book was:
Speaking of Barrett’s writings, where is her book? The lucrative deal was announced in April 2021 before she had written a significant majority opinion. Four years later, the book is not on the shelf, and I cannot find a publication date anywhere. By contrast, Justice Gorsuch has already co-authored two books during his tenure, and Justice Jackson published her memoir within two years of her confirmation. Justice Kavanaugh’s book deal was announced in June 2024, with a publication date in 2025 or 2026. I know people get upset when I talk about Barrett’s publication record as a professor, but her productivity on the bench is much the same. She has not given any speeches of note in years, and had only a light-hearted conversation at the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention in 2023.
Well, Penguin Random House has finally announced some details. The title is “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution.” And it will be published on September 9, 2025, a few weeks before the Court’s OT 2026 term will begin. (I’m sure Penguin was thrilled to have the recent negative press about ACB in advance of the big announcement).
The 304-page book has this description:
From Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a glimpse of her journey to the Court and an account of her approach to the Constitution
Since her confirmation hearing, Americans have peppered Justice Amy Coney Barrett with questions. How has she adjusted to the Court? What is it like to be a Supreme Court justice with school-age children? Do the justices get along? What does her normal day look like? How does the Court get its cases? How does it decide them? How does she decide?
In Listening to the Law, Justice Barrett answers these questions and more. She lays out her role (and daily life) as a justice, touching on everything from her deliberation process to dealing with media scrutiny. With the warmth and clarity that made her a popular law professor, she brings to life the making of the Constitution and explains her approach to interpreting its text. Whether sharing stories of clerking for Justice Scalia or walking readers through prominent cases, she invites readers to wrestle with originalism and to embrace the rich heritage of our Constitution.
There have generally been three genres of books by Supreme Court justices. The first is the memoir: the Justice’s life story. For example, Justices Thomas and Sotomayor wrote compelling memoirs about their remarkable journeys from poverty to the highest Court in the land. These books get the biggest advances. Second, there are general books about the law: Justices Gorsuch and Breyer tend to write about their particular understandings about the law. These books get far
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