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A Life for Liberty: The Making of an American Originalist
From prosecuting murderers in Chicago to arguing before the US Supreme Court to authoring more than a dozen books, Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett has played an integral role in the rise of the conservative legal movement.
Barnett’s renown in legal circles has brought him to the attention of mainstream publications like the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times, but now he recounts his own compelling journey from working-class kid in Calumet City to “Washington Power Breaker,” as the Congressional Quarterly Weekly called him.
With seminal books on libertarianism and contract law, Barnett has become best-known as a developer of, and leading advocate for, constitutional “originalism”—the movement to restore the original meaning of the Constitution. That quest led him to devise the constitutional challenge to Obamacare, to take roles in presidential campaigns and as a much-sought-after media spokesman, which has culminated in the heartening self-identification by a majority of Supreme Court justices as “originalists.”
Barnett’s varied and fascinating career has always been driven by the steadfast commitment to justice and liberty that was sparked at age ten by a television show about lawyers. His rise from criminal prosecutor and otherwise anonymous professor to one of the most influential thinkers in America is both gripping and inspiring. It is, in essence, a how-to guide for anyone seeking to advance the cause of justice and liberty for all.
Barnett’s renown in legal circles has brought him to the attention of mainstream publications like the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times, but now he recounts his own compelling journey from working-class kid in Calumet City to “Washington Power Breaker,” as the Congressional Quarterly Weekly called him.
With seminal books on libertarianism and contract law, Barnett has become best-known as a developer of, and leading advocate for, constitutional “originalism”—the movement to restore the original meaning of the Constitution. That quest led him to devise the constitutional challenge to Obamacare, to take roles in presidential campaigns and as a much-sought-after media spokesman, which has culminated in the heartening self-identification by a majority of Supreme Court justices as “originalists.”
Barnett’s varied and fascinating career has always been driven by the steadfast commitment to justice and liberty that was sparked at age ten by a television show about lawyers. His rise from criminal prosecutor and otherwise anonymous professor to one of the most influential thinkers in America is both gripping and inspiring. It is, in essence, a how-to guide for anyone seeking to advance the cause of justice and liberty for all.
656 pages, Hardcover
Published July 2, 2024
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July 24, 2024
This memoir is a tremendous achievement, sharing what it’s like to spend a lifetime deeply engaged with American law. Readable and coherent, it gives readers a peek into the experience of studying at Harvard law school; of prosecuting folks accused of crimes in the rough-and-tumble Cook County court system; of trying to change careers and enter the world of academic law; of making the perilous climb up the law-school hierarchy. Barnett, now a highly respected professor at the Georgetown University School of Law, has done all that and more, including arguing a case before the United State Supreme Court and vetting nominees to the High Court. Most importantly, he’s helped to develop the movement of Constitutional originalism, now an important influence on the Supreme Court and hence all our lives. He has a special talent for explaining even complex legal issues and theories in clear, down-to-earth language. A Life for Liberty should be read by every American who cares about both liberty and justice (or even just good storytelling.)
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