Did you know that, according to the Supreme Court, 9 Justices served as law clerks on the Court?
First up, we have Byron White, who clerked for Chief Justice Fred Vinson during the 1946 Term . . .
Next up, we have John Paul Stevens, who clerked for Justice Wiley B. Rutledge during the 1947 Term . . .
In the third spot, we have William H. Rehnquist, who clerked for Justice Robert H. Jackson during the 1952 Term . . .
In the fourth spot, we have Stephen G. Breyer, who clerked for Justice Arthur J. Goldberg during the 1964 Term . . .
In the fifth spot, we have John G. Roberts, Jr., who clerked for Justice William H. Rehnquist during the 1980 Term . . .
In the sixth spot, we have Elena Kagan, who clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall during the 1987 Term . . .
In the seventh spot, we have Neil M. Gorsuch, who clerked for then-retired Justice Byron R. White and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy during the 1993 Term . . .
In the eighth spot, we have Brett M. Kavanaugh, who clerked for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy during the 1993 Term . . .
And finally in the ninth spot, we have Amy Coney Barrett, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia during the 1998 Term.
And for a bonus ⚖️ Judicial Fun Fact ⚖️ . . .
Did you know that one of these law clerks ended up serving as a member of the Court alongside the Justice for whom he clerked?
That would be Justice Gorsuch alongside Justice Kennedy!
Did you know that law schools didn't used to award the J.D. (Juris Doctor) but instead a degree called the LL.B.?
That's short for "Legum Baccalaureus," which is the fancy Latin designation for Bachelor of Laws.
And I promise, its history is delightful . . .
(⚖️🎓🧵)
But first, you may be wondering – why would "Legum Baccalaureus" be shortened to LL.B. and not L.B.?
– I love this –
This is the reduplicative form of the plural at work, where we form the plural by doubling the initial letter – it's why the abbreviation for Justices is "JJ."
Now, the LL.B. was the standard degree from American law schools because most required only that their students be high school graduates.
Things began to change in the early part of the 20th Century.
In 1903, @UChicago offered the J.D. to law students who had undergrad degrees.
Here stands Ivy Williams – the very first woman to be called to the Bar of England and Wales (a feat that occurred 100 years ago).
And here's how it happened and what she did next in law . . .
(a petite ⚖️🧵)
The daughter of a solicitor, Ivy studied jurisprudence at Oxford, completing her exams for a BA in 1900 and a BCL in 1902. 🎓
But because she was a woman, she could not practice law.
Thankfully that changed with the passage of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 . . .
In 1922, Ivy was called to the Bar.
According to the @nytimes, "The jollities" – jollities! – "which mark 'call' night ... were touched with historical significance tonight when a woman ... was for the first time called to the English bar."
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. has just visited the estate of Doneraile Court in Ireland.
There he encountered Emily Ursula Clare Saint Leger – also known as Lady Castletown.
He is completely besotted.
Holmes takes pen to paper – "My dear lady . . ."
(❤️🔥⚖️🧵)
But wait – we are getting ahead of ourselves. First, we must set the scene . . .
This country pile is Doneraile Court – the home of Baron Castletown & his wife, Lady Castletown. 🏰
Theirs was not exactly a love match. (They each had their own paramours, if you must know.)
How does Oliver configure in all of this?
Then a Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 🏛️, he spent part of the summer visiting the British Isles. (His wife, Fanny, who has been described as a "recluse," decided against the journey.)
50 years ago, the Supreme Court recognized the right of all people – married and single alike – to purchase and use contraception.
The case in which they did so? Eisenstadt v. Baird.
And how did that case come about? It began with this electric moment right here . . .
(⚖️🧵)
But before we get there, we're going to need a little history . . .
So back in the day (in 1873 to be precise), Congress passed the Comstock Act (known for its champion, Anthony Comstock ⬇️) outlawing the distribution of “obscene” materials, including contraception . . . yeah.
Soon after, many states enacted their own anti-contraceptive laws.
Among them was Massachusetts. In 1879 the state passed "An Act Concerning Offenses against Chastity, Morality, and Decency" which made it a crime to give away items "for the prevention of conception" . . . yeah.