In the contemporary era of intense partisan divide, it seems inconceivable that a second-term Republican president would nominate a jurist for the Supreme Court who would later earn the moniker “the liberal lion”. Even more implausible is the notion that the nominee would earn almost unanimous backing from the Senate, with only one dissenting vote. Yet, in October 1956, Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed a lawyer by the name of William Joseph Brennan, Jr. to a place on the highest court bench in the country, beginning a tenure that would last almost thirty-four years and span eight presidencies. During this time, Justice Brennan adjudicated over 1300 cases, with many of his verdicts continuing to impact American society in the present day.
