NEW YORK – Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is set to release a book in September, inviting readers to gain insights into the Supreme Court through her personal experiences. Titled “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution,” this book will be available on September 9, as announced by Sentinel Books, a conservative branch under Penguin Random House.
Justice Barrett’s book promises to shed light on her role within the Court, detailing her daily operations and decision-making processes. It also touches upon how she handles media scrutiny. The announcement from Sentinel highlights Barrett’s engaging style, reminiscent of her tenure as a law professor, as she explores the formation of the Constitution and discusses her judicial philosophy, including originalism. Readers are invited to engage with the complexities and heritage of the Constitution. In her statement through Sentinel, Barrett expressed her desire to demystify the often opaque process of judicial deliberation, emphasizing that it should not be seen as mysterious.
Barrett’s signing with Sentinel was initially reported in 2021, and financial disclosures in the subsequent year revealed her to have received a $425,000 advance, part of an overall deal reputed to be worth $2 million.
In recent years, other justices have also ventured into publishing, such as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Neil Gorsuch. At 53, Barrett is the youngest member of the Supreme Court, having been appointed in 2020 following Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. As the third justice appointed by former President Donald Trump, Barrett has helped cement a conservative majority that has made significant rulings on issues like abortion, religious rights, and affirmative action. However, some of her decisions have sparked conservative discontent, notably a recent verdict where she sided with a 5-4 majority against the Trump administration’s attempt to halt nearly $2 billion in foreign aid.
Committed to fostering civil discourse, Barrett has appeared alongside Justice Sotomayor, one of the court’s more liberal voices, in public forums. Addressing a gathering of civics educators in Washington, Barrett emphasized the absence of a “my way or the highway” mindset among the justices.
