Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court

As a former Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor knows a lot about the institution she served diligently, and this book certainly reflects that. Divided into chapters, not by era, but by subject, Out of Order provides roughly chronological histories of many aspects of the Court, such as the Court’s role in the country, the justices’ role in the Court, oral advocates who have argued their cases before the Court, and Court firsts. Because a lot of American history focuses on the presidents who have shaped the nation and not on the courts that have done the same, a lot of this information was new to me, and it was fascinating.

O’Connor tends to steer clear of case law, mentioning but never focusing on landmark cases. Instead, she focuses on the people behind those decisions, humanizing the Justices (both past and present) in a way that I have not seen before. Out of Order is easy to read, enjoyable, and incredibly interesting. It goes into enough detail to interest scholars but is accessible enough for the casual reader. It is an excellent book for anyone curious about the Supreme Court, and I highly recommend it.