Posted by Orin Kerr:
Justice Holmes Rocks:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_08_16-2009_08_22.shtml#1250785594
As this[1] seems to be WDYTOJOJOWH week at the Volokh Conspiracy --
"What Do You Think of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes?" -- I thought I
would risk annoying Ilya and David B by saying that I'm a big fan of
Holmes. He was a marvelous legal thinker for his day, a true
intellectual, and a gifted writer.
Granted, I don't agree with Holmes about everything. But then I've
never agreed with anyone about everything, especially people who had
the misfortune of living a century ago. Plus, I'm not sure that the
degree someone agrees with me is a reliable indicator of how great
they are. Whether different people really should be fans of Holmes
(liberals, conservatives, left-handed people, etc.) is a question I'll
leave to others to debate. But looking at his work as a whole, I find
a great deal to admire in it. One of the Great Justices, in my view.
For readers interested in getting to know Holmes better, I
particularly recommend [2]The Essential Holmes, Selections from the
Letters, Speeches, Judicial Opinions, and Other Writings of Oliver
Wendell Holmes, Jr.. Excellent stuff.
References
1. http://volokh.com/posts/1250779650.shtml
2.
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Holmes-Selections-Speeches-Judicial/dp/0226675548
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