A Conversation with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy

President Ronald Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy to the Supreme Court of the United States on November 30, 1987. The Senate confirmed the appointment on February 3, 1988, the last time a Justice was confirmed unanimously (97-0). He took senior status after thirty years of service on July 31, 2018.

To understand Anthony Kennedy is to realize that, for him, judging is independent of politics, preferences, and religious beliefs. It is about a fundamental conviction that neutral principles must drive the decision and an unyielding commitment to the rule of law. Sometimes called a “swing vote,” the term misunderstands Kennedy’s approach. In his own words, “The cases swing, I don’t.”