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Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America
"Dahlia Lithwick, one of the nation's foremost legal commentators, tells the gripping and heroic story of the women lawyers who fought the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump's presidency-and won. After the sudden shock of Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, many Americans felt lost and uncertain. It was clear he and his administration were going to pursue a series of retrograde, devastating policies. What could be done? Immediately, women lawyers all around the country, independently of each other, sprang into action, and they had a common they weren't going to stand by in the face of injustice, while Trump, Mitch McConnell, and the Republican party did everything in their power to remake the judiciary in their own conservative image. Over the next four years, the women worked tirelessly to hold the line against the most chaotic and malign presidency in living memory. There was Sally Yates, the acting attorney general of the United States, who refused to sign off on the Muslim travel ban. And Becca Heller, the founder of a refugee assistance program who brought the fight over the travel ban to the airports. And Roberta Kaplan, the famed commercial litigator, who sued the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. And, of course, Stacey Abrams, whose efforts to protect the voting rights of millions of Georgians may well have been what won the Senate for the Democrats in 2020. These are just a handful of the stories Lithwick dramatizes in thrilling detail to tell a brand-new and deeply inspiring account of the Trump years. With unparalleled access to her subjects, she has written a luminous book, not about the villains of the Trump years, but about the heroes. A celebration of the tireless efforts, legal ingenuity, and indefatigable spirit of the women whose work all too often went unrecognized at the time, Lady Justice is destined to be treasured and passed from hand to hand for generations to come, not just among lawyers and law students, but among all optimistic and hopeful Americans"--
368 pages, ebook
First published September 20, 2022
About the author
Dahlia Lithwick
10 books89 followersDahlia Lithwick is a Canadian writer and editor who lives in the United States. She is a contributing editor at Newsweek and a senior editor at Slate. She writes "Supreme Court Dispatches" and "Jurisprudence" and has covered the Microsoft trial and other legal issues for Slate. Before joining Slate as a freelancer in 1999, she worked for a family law firm in Reno, Nevada. Her work has appeared in The New Republic, The American Prospect, ELLE, The Ottawa Citizen and The Washington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews
March 2, 2023
Audiobook….read by Dahlia Lithwick
….10 hours and 49 minutes
“A mark at the end of American history as we knew it…but not in the right direction”.
We learned in 2016, that the only consequence for grabbing a woman’s pussy was an elected President of the highest office in United States.
Millions of women supported Trump….. a man who said time and time again he thought women were best seen on a dessert tray.
“Just as it was looking like history for women was unraveling like a cheap sweater, something else was happening.
Women lawyers, were turning on a dime…. to organize a new type of resistant cases that would play out in the courthouse and elections”.
Extraordinary female lawyers stepped forward to fight for justice.
Dahlia Lithwick, herself is a senior legal correspondent at Slate and host of Amicus, Slate’s award-winning biweekly podcast about the law.
Women fought back during the Trump years with a vengeance — they fought back hard to protect our rights:
… the right for freedom against violence and discrimination.
… voters right
… equal wages and economic empowerment.
… sexual harassment
… reproduction rights
… crimes against female genital mutilation
… racial equality
… disability rights and justice
… protection of our rights, safety, health, families and communities
…
Dahlia Lithwick highlighted our current deterioration in respect to women - the alarming assaults on women’s rights — and how our legal protections were dismantled.
Catastrophic attacks on human rights and gender equality lowered protection for women and girls across the globe ….
But ….
she also highlighted optimistic confidence that we can help end violence against women and human rights: protect our civil rights and democracy.
Women lawyers have been working together fighting for equality and women’s rights — behind the scenes for decades … they are true heroines.
And somehow this book managed to not only inform - highlight and refresh some of the shocking horrific things we have all witnessed… but she entertained us, and gave us inspiring hope!
The audiobook was excellent!!!
….10 hours and 49 minutes
“A mark at the end of American history as we knew it…but not in the right direction”.
We learned in 2016, that the only consequence for grabbing a woman’s pussy was an elected President of the highest office in United States.
Millions of women supported Trump….. a man who said time and time again he thought women were best seen on a dessert tray.
“Just as it was looking like history for women was unraveling like a cheap sweater, something else was happening.
Women lawyers, were turning on a dime…. to organize a new type of resistant cases that would play out in the courthouse and elections”.
Extraordinary female lawyers stepped forward to fight for justice.
Dahlia Lithwick, herself is a senior legal correspondent at Slate and host of Amicus, Slate’s award-winning biweekly podcast about the law.
Women fought back during the Trump years with a vengeance — they fought back hard to protect our rights:
… the right for freedom against violence and discrimination.
… voters right
… equal wages and economic empowerment.
… sexual harassment
… reproduction rights
… crimes against female genital mutilation
… racial equality
… disability rights and justice
… protection of our rights, safety, health, families and communities
…
Dahlia Lithwick highlighted our current deterioration in respect to women - the alarming assaults on women’s rights — and how our legal protections were dismantled.
Catastrophic attacks on human rights and gender equality lowered protection for women and girls across the globe ….
But ….
she also highlighted optimistic confidence that we can help end violence against women and human rights: protect our civil rights and democracy.
Women lawyers have been working together fighting for equality and women’s rights — behind the scenes for decades … they are true heroines.
And somehow this book managed to not only inform - highlight and refresh some of the shocking horrific things we have all witnessed… but she entertained us, and gave us inspiring hope!
The audiobook was excellent!!!
August 22, 2022
A closer look at the female lawyers who fought different Trump-era policies through the law and activism. Each chapter focuses on a specific problem and the woman who worked against it
I have mixed feelings about this book. I found chapters fascinating and I learned a lot about the law and the many different ways that activism and the law intersect. The women highlighted were inspiring, and the events surrounding each case were vividly well-written. However, the book as a whole fell flat to me. I think its a mix of the author's use of woman as a monolith (women lawyers did this..., women tend to do that,,,,) as well as the many Handmaiden's Tale references that gave me out-dated white feminism vibes - that type of "color-blind" feminism, which can be problematic.
I still think that this is a great book that does a great job explaining law to laypeople and the stories of these women and their activism is well written and emotional to read. I just wanted to like it more than I did.
Book from Netgalley
I have mixed feelings about this book. I found chapters fascinating and I learned a lot about the law and the many different ways that activism and the law intersect. The women highlighted were inspiring, and the events surrounding each case were vividly well-written. However, the book as a whole fell flat to me. I think its a mix of the author's use of woman as a monolith (women lawyers did this..., women tend to do that,,,,) as well as the many Handmaiden's Tale references that gave me out-dated white feminism vibes - that type of "color-blind" feminism, which can be problematic.
I still think that this is a great book that does a great job explaining law to laypeople and the stories of these women and their activism is well written and emotional to read. I just wanted to like it more than I did.
Book from Netgalley
October 4, 2022
Dahlia Lithwick has been a friend and a hero for more than 20 years. She calls Lady Justice a “romance novel” about the law, democracy, and the women building the barricades defending both. That’s exactly what it is.
To quote Vanita Gupta, one of the book’s subjects and another hero, “despair is the enemy of justice.” Dahlia somehow manages to honor the pain, struggle, and fear of the moment while infusing us with optimism that, so long as we persist, we can win.
This is an urgent read to understand where we are and what’s at stake, to get to know some of the extraordinary patriots fighting for our fundamental rights, and to find hope, inspiration, and fortitude for the battles ahead.
To quote Vanita Gupta, one of the book’s subjects and another hero, “despair is the enemy of justice.” Dahlia somehow manages to honor the pain, struggle, and fear of the moment while infusing us with optimism that, so long as we persist, we can win.
This is an urgent read to understand where we are and what’s at stake, to get to know some of the extraordinary patriots fighting for our fundamental rights, and to find hope, inspiration, and fortitude for the battles ahead.
September 28, 2024
I really liked this book. A legal tour focusing on 10 female lawyers who dealt with legal issues at the federal level during the Trump Administration. Lithwick also addresses her complicity with some of issues that are in the book. Rtc
4.5 Stars
Read on kindle mostly and a couple of chapters in the audiobook so I could finish before the end of Women's History month. Lithwick narrated and she was very good.
4.5 Stars
Read on kindle mostly and a couple of chapters in the audiobook so I could finish before the end of Women's History month. Lithwick narrated and she was very good.
March 8, 2023
I've been circling this particular book at the library for a while, and when the audiobook became available it felt like the heavens were pushing me to finally give this a chance. I'm not super mad at myself for doing that...
I think that the title of the book gives the impression that the scope of the book will be larger than it really is. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was wasted on a book with such narrow focus... it is kind of wasted here.
That's not to say that Lithwick doesn't deliver any valuable information, I did appreciate what was presented. Almost immediately the book sets expectations about what will be discussed and over the course of ten chapters we get focus on ten women and their battle to save America under the Trump administration.
That's not to say that the book doesn't make reference to the women that came before them, because to say that would be a lie. We are always reminded of the women that made it possible for the ones we're reading about to do what they are doing, just as bright a light is shone on those that came before as the ones chosen by Lithwick to stand under the spotlight; it's just not the more expansive view I thought I was getting myself into.
Still, the book tackles a variety of topics and does its part to educate people about topics that have been and continue to be the battlegrounds so it is worth reading if you happen to have a series of free afternoons.
I think that the title of the book gives the impression that the scope of the book will be larger than it really is. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was wasted on a book with such narrow focus... it is kind of wasted here.
That's not to say that Lithwick doesn't deliver any valuable information, I did appreciate what was presented. Almost immediately the book sets expectations about what will be discussed and over the course of ten chapters we get focus on ten women and their battle to save America under the Trump administration.
That's not to say that the book doesn't make reference to the women that came before them, because to say that would be a lie. We are always reminded of the women that made it possible for the ones we're reading about to do what they are doing, just as bright a light is shone on those that came before as the ones chosen by Lithwick to stand under the spotlight; it's just not the more expansive view I thought I was getting myself into.
Still, the book tackles a variety of topics and does its part to educate people about topics that have been and continue to be the battlegrounds so it is worth reading if you happen to have a series of free afternoons.
September 8, 2022
Brilliant, heartbreaking, inspiring, and even a little hopeful. I laughed, I raged, I cried, I underlined way too much of the text.
April 10, 2023
If I have a complaint about this book, it is that I think the author is too optimistic about women fighting the right fights within the law, but I cannot blame anyone for what they need to do in order to keep going and keep fighting the necessary fights. So well written and considered and I actually do think the thesis of the book, that women have a unique connection to the law because they understand the ways in which it is meant to control them is interesting. If you don't listen to Lithwick's podcast, Amicus, it is crucial listening to understanding what is going on at SCOTUS, though I freely admit to not being able to listen when things seem particularly grim. Definitely recommend picking this one up.
November 28, 2023
I love the concept of the book: highlighting awesome women attorneys doing awesome work. Unfortunately, I feel like the profiles of the women were secondary to the discussion of Trump-era politics. I understand some discussion is necessary for context, but I felt it was written in a way that upstaged the heroines and was extremely triggering to re-read and re-live. You can see this even in the chapter names: the name of the profiled woman is the subtitle to the topical issue.
The #metoo chapters were also odd to me. The author discusses her own role and involvement in the #metoo movement quite a bit, so I guess she was profiling herself as an awesome woman attorney in the book? Strange.
The #metoo chapters were also odd to me. The author discusses her own role and involvement in the #metoo movement quite a bit, so I guess she was profiling herself as an awesome woman attorney in the book? Strange.
February 21, 2024
"Amiri looks like what Audrey Hepburn would be if she’d become a reproductive rights litigator. With doe eyes and sweeping bangs, and age forty-four at the time of the lawsuits, Amiri initially wanted to be a dancer, and you can still see it when she’s at a lectern before a panel of judges. In the corner of her New York office, she has hung a print that reads, “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” That’s from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Latin roughly translated to mean “don’t let the bastards grind you down.”
Even though she was only a small child at the time, she remembers that even in liberal, tolerant Ann Arbor during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 the family suffered harassment, including bomb threats and hate mail.
“When I was in fifth grade, and the crossing guards were assigned to certain posts, I noticed that a boy was always assigned to put up the flag, and guard the parking lot, and a girl never was. I got together a petition of people saying, ‘That’s not fair. You can’t treat boys and girls differently, and we should get that post too.’ And I won.” She paused for a beat. “Also I think there was chocolate milk associated with that post.”
“I didn’t graduate from a fancy law school. I didn’t do a clerkship. I didn’t know anyone who was a lawyer before I went to law school.”
On election night 2016 her mandate changed very quickly: “I remember, I just burst into tears.”"
May 25, 2023
If you are, as I am, a hardcore Dahlia Lithwick fan, you heard a lot about this book before it was released, including her frequent quotation of the male lawyer who asked her why she wanted to write "a little pink book about the law," which is why she advocated for the pink cover.
This little pink book about the law is, in fact, a full-throated argument for the role of women in the last century through now (mostly now) in both defending and changing the law, in revering it and disdaining it, and in remaining committed to ensuring that the law does the best it can, especially when the law and the common good are under threat.
Lithwick does this by profiling a list of women lawyers, starting with the redoubtable and still under-acknowledged Pauli Murray. Murray, in case you don't know about her, was one of the nation's first Black female lawyers (though "female" is complicated; Murray always identified as some part male, and would probably now be called transgender or gender-fluid, and might well use they/them pronouns). Murray's accomplishments are legion, but two that need to be called out are that the 1964 Supreme Court "borrowed" (without either permission or acknowledgment) one of her law-school papers as a foundational piece of the decision in Brown vs. Board of Education, and that she mentored Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is the brightest star in my personal category "Black women whose names should be household words."
After Murray, Lithwick goes to Sally Yates, who stood up for the law at the Department of Justice until Donald Trump fired her for not supporting the first Muslim flight ban. She goes to Becca Heller, indefatigable immigration rights activist, who was the central motivator for the "lawyers at airports" response to that ban. Heller is notably quote'd as saying that she got a law degree because she was in a circle of activists, each one of whom "would've cut out their left eye' to help, say, the mother of a wrongly incarcerated son, 'and we were all, What can we do?'" But nobody was a lawyer, so she realized, "Ugh, I guess I've got to go to law school."
Other chapters cover Roberta Kaplan, who won a victory for the victims of Charlottesville's Unite the Right rally (and is now all over the news for representing E. Jean Carroll), Anita Hill (and by extension Christine Blasey Ford) Stacey Abrams, and several others. Each chapter goes both into the personalities being profiled and the legal questions being examined, all through the lens of what women tend to do differently than men, both in the law and in our lives.
Lithwick is very open about her own fears and disgust of the historical moment, and she goes into not just her inability to enter the Supreme Court (where she was an assigned reporter) after Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation, but her visceral reaction to that period -- and her husband's and sons' support and understanding. And yet, as we all need in books like this, she offers up several flavors of hope--some of it in the indomitable personalities she is showing us, some of it in the victories, and much of it in the underlying insights she offers into how laws, and historical moments, can be changed.
This little pink book about the law is, in fact, a full-throated argument for the role of women in the last century through now (mostly now) in both defending and changing the law, in revering it and disdaining it, and in remaining committed to ensuring that the law does the best it can, especially when the law and the common good are under threat.
Lithwick does this by profiling a list of women lawyers, starting with the redoubtable and still under-acknowledged Pauli Murray. Murray, in case you don't know about her, was one of the nation's first Black female lawyers (though "female" is complicated; Murray always identified as some part male, and would probably now be called transgender or gender-fluid, and might well use they/them pronouns). Murray's accomplishments are legion, but two that need to be called out are that the 1964 Supreme Court "borrowed" (without either permission or acknowledgment) one of her law-school papers as a foundational piece of the decision in Brown vs. Board of Education, and that she mentored Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is the brightest star in my personal category "Black women whose names should be household words."
After Murray, Lithwick goes to Sally Yates, who stood up for the law at the Department of Justice until Donald Trump fired her for not supporting the first Muslim flight ban. She goes to Becca Heller, indefatigable immigration rights activist, who was the central motivator for the "lawyers at airports" response to that ban. Heller is notably quote'd as saying that she got a law degree because she was in a circle of activists, each one of whom "would've cut out their left eye' to help, say, the mother of a wrongly incarcerated son, 'and we were all, What can we do?'" But nobody was a lawyer, so she realized, "Ugh, I guess I've got to go to law school."
Other chapters cover Roberta Kaplan, who won a victory for the victims of Charlottesville's Unite the Right rally (and is now all over the news for representing E. Jean Carroll), Anita Hill (and by extension Christine Blasey Ford) Stacey Abrams, and several others. Each chapter goes both into the personalities being profiled and the legal questions being examined, all through the lens of what women tend to do differently than men, both in the law and in our lives.
Lithwick is very open about her own fears and disgust of the historical moment, and she goes into not just her inability to enter the Supreme Court (where she was an assigned reporter) after Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation, but her visceral reaction to that period -- and her husband's and sons' support and understanding. And yet, as we all need in books like this, she offers up several flavors of hope--some of it in the indomitable personalities she is showing us, some of it in the victories, and much of it in the underlying insights she offers into how laws, and historical moments, can be changed.
October 14, 2022
"Women + Law = Magic"
What an inspiring book Ms. Lithwick has given us! A true profile in courage of some of the smartest, bravest, and most interesting women attorneys working to protect civil rights and democracy in the years since 2016. Beginning with an acknowledgement of Pauli Murray who, I confess I had never heard of before, but was immediately inspired to view the documentary of her life currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Ms. Lithwick then introduces us to the work of Sally Yates, Stacy Abrams, Becca Heller (who fought the attempted Muslim ban and brought that fight to the airports), and Roberta Kaplan (who sued the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville). There are chapters on Anita Hill and the Kavanagh hearings and much more. There are some unsavory characters out there in the Federal judicial system and the author pulls no punches. With unprecedented access, Ms. Lithwick truly knows and is passionate about her subjects and this comes across on every page. I am more of a fiction reader, but this is one of the best nonfiction books I have read in years! Cheers!
What an inspiring book Ms. Lithwick has given us! A true profile in courage of some of the smartest, bravest, and most interesting women attorneys working to protect civil rights and democracy in the years since 2016. Beginning with an acknowledgement of Pauli Murray who, I confess I had never heard of before, but was immediately inspired to view the documentary of her life currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Ms. Lithwick then introduces us to the work of Sally Yates, Stacy Abrams, Becca Heller (who fought the attempted Muslim ban and brought that fight to the airports), and Roberta Kaplan (who sued the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville). There are chapters on Anita Hill and the Kavanagh hearings and much more. There are some unsavory characters out there in the Federal judicial system and the author pulls no punches. With unprecedented access, Ms. Lithwick truly knows and is passionate about her subjects and this comes across on every page. I am more of a fiction reader, but this is one of the best nonfiction books I have read in years! Cheers!
December 31, 2022
The final book I finished in 2022, and an excellent one to end on.
There isn't a ton in here that was new to me, as a lawyer and someone who follows SCOTUS closely. But there were some details and context in this that I found illuminating, and it was a well constructed book that connected the different chapters despite each chapter dealing with (essentially) discrete events/litigation.
There isn't a ton in here that was new to me, as a lawyer and someone who follows SCOTUS closely. But there were some details and context in this that I found illuminating, and it was a well constructed book that connected the different chapters despite each chapter dealing with (essentially) discrete events/litigation.
April 19, 2023
This was probably not a book that I would have normally picked up to read on my own. First because it was nonfiction and second it was about the law and understandably, political since each chapter was a case brought on during the Trump Administration. Ugh! However, it was a choice by the OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) book discussion group which would read 2 chapters a week over 5 weekly zoom meetings. It was easy and indeed an amazingly fun learning experience in which an overview of the chapter was given and members could vocally contribute to the discussions. This was wonderful but not necessary for a enlightening read.
Since the 16 or so members had a wide variety of professions a few were lawyers who helped out with language used in law and cases that were talked about or mentioned in the book. Over all, no reader needed to have any experience in law to have an interest in the cases that are described, in easy to read page-turning detail, and to agree or disagree with opinions discussed in each case. In addition, each of the nine cases that were explored were there because women were instrumental in the fight for justice. And that often forgotten or overlooked contribution made the stories especially enthralling to me.
As the journalist and author, Dahlia Lithwick, the senior legal correspondent at Slate and host of the podcast "Amicus" points out in her Epilogue and Acknowledgments: "The women lawyers and organizers who sprang up in opposition to Trump and Trumpism seem to be a natural experiment in adopting a broader prescription for power, which demands 'thinking about the power of followers, not just the leaders'. The women who used the law to save democracy since 2016 taught us how 'to power'. They both modeled and harnessed the 'power of followers' whether it was women protesting the travel ban and family separations or (Stacey Abrams style) getting out the vote. Women organizing around halting mass shootings, promoting reproductive freedoms, and opposing white supremacy were also lashing the power of groups to the power of law." "We have a long way to go....but women plus law equals magic" The book's vision is the understanding of why we need heroes in order to have hope and even as followers we all have the power to make change!
Since the 16 or so members had a wide variety of professions a few were lawyers who helped out with language used in law and cases that were talked about or mentioned in the book. Over all, no reader needed to have any experience in law to have an interest in the cases that are described, in easy to read page-turning detail, and to agree or disagree with opinions discussed in each case. In addition, each of the nine cases that were explored were there because women were instrumental in the fight for justice. And that often forgotten or overlooked contribution made the stories especially enthralling to me.
As the journalist and author, Dahlia Lithwick, the senior legal correspondent at Slate and host of the podcast "Amicus" points out in her Epilogue and Acknowledgments: "The women lawyers and organizers who sprang up in opposition to Trump and Trumpism seem to be a natural experiment in adopting a broader prescription for power, which demands 'thinking about the power of followers, not just the leaders'. The women who used the law to save democracy since 2016 taught us how 'to power'. They both modeled and harnessed the 'power of followers' whether it was women protesting the travel ban and family separations or (Stacey Abrams style) getting out the vote. Women organizing around halting mass shootings, promoting reproductive freedoms, and opposing white supremacy were also lashing the power of groups to the power of law." "We have a long way to go....but women plus law equals magic" The book's vision is the understanding of why we need heroes in order to have hope and even as followers we all have the power to make change!
March 7, 2023
There's really nothing I can add that will expand meaningfully on the GR synopsis. It probably won't surprise anyone if I say that if you don't share with the author a common set of beliefs and cultural positions about equality under the law, the right to vote, personal autonomy, that claims of massive voter fraud have found zero evidence to substantiate them, and that the US Constitution actually means something, you won't like "Lady Justice" at all. In clear and accessible language, Lithwick explains what lies at the heart of today's high profile legal questions. She introduces the reader to the extraordinary efforts - and intelligence, courage, foresight, persistence, and courage -- of a number of women lawyers (some famous, others less so) to protect the rights and protections of all citizens, and what is at stake in such matters.
I think "Lady Justice" deserves a wide audience, given the legal, moral, and cultural battles of our time. Lithwick sounds a necessary alarm about the risks facing the country now. I strongly urge readers to consider listening to "Lady Justice." You'll sacrifice the ability to jot down marginalia and highlight passages, true, but the author does a brilliant job narrating the book. Listening to Lithwick read is like sitting in a room with her and a few friends for an energetic conversation.
I think "Lady Justice" deserves a wide audience, given the legal, moral, and cultural battles of our time. Lithwick sounds a necessary alarm about the risks facing the country now. I strongly urge readers to consider listening to "Lady Justice." You'll sacrifice the ability to jot down marginalia and highlight passages, true, but the author does a brilliant job narrating the book. Listening to Lithwick read is like sitting in a room with her and a few friends for an energetic conversation.
January 28, 2023
As a liberal feminist who cringed and cried and Tweeted angrily through the Trump years, I loved the idea and content in this book more than the actual execution. Bouncing around from year to year, third-person interview to first-person experience, I felt like this book could have used more editing.
As much as I loved reading about and hearing about the women in the shadows that have been trying to save democracy through smart legal briefs and brave stubbornness, I feel like Lady Justice covered almost TOO much ground, such that each chapter was really only surface-level summary of each of the issues. I thought the chapters on the Muslim travel ban and Stacey Abrams were the most thoughtfully researched and written.
As much as I loved reading about and hearing about the women in the shadows that have been trying to save democracy through smart legal briefs and brave stubbornness, I feel like Lady Justice covered almost TOO much ground, such that each chapter was really only surface-level summary of each of the issues. I thought the chapters on the Muslim travel ban and Stacey Abrams were the most thoughtfully researched and written.
March 18, 2023
No words can express the importance of this book. If you care about upholding democracy and keeping our country intact, you need to read it. This is one of the most powerful books I have read in my lifetime.
“Of the 816 life-tenured federal judges on Supreme Court, the thirteen federal appeals courts, and the ninety-four district courts, Trump seated 28% in a single term in office. The vast majority of his appointments were white males, and the average age of his appellate judges was 47. (Obama’s nominees were on average five years older.). The Federal Judicial Center estimated that Trump judges will serve 270 more years than Obama’s judges.”
Let that sink in.
In regards to the Trump administration: “Those four years proved to be a master class in citizenship.”
“Of the 816 life-tenured federal judges on Supreme Court, the thirteen federal appeals courts, and the ninety-four district courts, Trump seated 28% in a single term in office. The vast majority of his appointments were white males, and the average age of his appellate judges was 47. (Obama’s nominees were on average five years older.). The Federal Judicial Center estimated that Trump judges will serve 270 more years than Obama’s judges.”
Let that sink in.
In regards to the Trump administration: “Those four years proved to be a master class in citizenship.”
January 18, 2023
This book is an absolute must read - for anyone who needs language to articulate the world we have lived in since the horror of the 2016 American election; for anyone who wants to understand who the women lawyers who are and - and who have - fought back against that horror; for anyone who needs a reminder that the law DOES protects us against chaos; and for anyone who needs to be inspired that small acts beget bigger acts and that eventually, maybe, the arc of the universe will bend toward better times.
November 15, 2022
I now realize that the author Dahlia used to be a prominent legal journalist reporting on the Supreme Court and also a podcast host, but I didn’t know that. This book only made onto my radar coz I get most of my legal related news from Elie Mystal and Mark Joseph Stern and they both highly recommended this book, so how I could I resist picking it up.
I didn’t even bother reading the premise, so I didn’t know what this book was gonna be about. But what I got was like an extended profile of some very prominent women lawyers of the country who fought back against some of the most dangerous policies of GOP state governments or the 45th administration. From the people who fought against the Muslim Ban, suing the white supremacists behind the Charlottesville March, fighting for abortion rights, bringing to light the horrible sexual harassment in the legal circles and trying to preserve the right to vote in this country for everyone - this book is an excellent way to get to know about some of the women who have been at the forefront of fighting these legal battles for the rights of women and everyone else too.
There are moments in the book where it’s easy to feel helpless and pessimistic because the law has never been about giving women equal rights and everything had to be fought for, through decades. It feels even worse this year with the reversal of Roe and as the author mentions, the haunting chant of “Lock her up” from the 2016 campaign seems to have become a GOP goal now across the country, to lock up as many women as they can for making a choice about their bodies and their lives. But as many of the lawyers in this book insist, we can’t give in to this despair and it’s important to continue the fight, both within the legal system as well as building grassroots movements and energizing the people.
And while I really admire the women mentioned here and those who are not but continue to fight everyday for the rights of Americans and all marginalized groups, the highest court of the land doesn’t seem very interested in letting people have equal rights. So where does this leave the future.. who knows??? But I’m betting on all these fighters.
I didn’t even bother reading the premise, so I didn’t know what this book was gonna be about. But what I got was like an extended profile of some very prominent women lawyers of the country who fought back against some of the most dangerous policies of GOP state governments or the 45th administration. From the people who fought against the Muslim Ban, suing the white supremacists behind the Charlottesville March, fighting for abortion rights, bringing to light the horrible sexual harassment in the legal circles and trying to preserve the right to vote in this country for everyone - this book is an excellent way to get to know about some of the women who have been at the forefront of fighting these legal battles for the rights of women and everyone else too.
There are moments in the book where it’s easy to feel helpless and pessimistic because the law has never been about giving women equal rights and everything had to be fought for, through decades. It feels even worse this year with the reversal of Roe and as the author mentions, the haunting chant of “Lock her up” from the 2016 campaign seems to have become a GOP goal now across the country, to lock up as many women as they can for making a choice about their bodies and their lives. But as many of the lawyers in this book insist, we can’t give in to this despair and it’s important to continue the fight, both within the legal system as well as building grassroots movements and energizing the people.
And while I really admire the women mentioned here and those who are not but continue to fight everyday for the rights of Americans and all marginalized groups, the highest court of the land doesn’t seem very interested in letting people have equal rights. So where does this leave the future.. who knows??? But I’m betting on all these fighters.
December 6, 2022
This was an interesting book that highlighted some of the overlooked voices and contributors to the legal field and justice in America. However, it is painfully obvious some of these people weren't on the author's radar at all until she and other women began feeling victimized instead of protected by the law and justice system. The author's blind spot means a lot of the sweeping statements about "women" in the book more accurately describe white/privileged women, as black and brown, and poor women have known about, spoken up about, and fought against discrimination and systematic injustice for years or decades.
My biggest takeaways from the book are that the US government and justice system have an accountability problem when it comes to the men in power, and justice has always relied on goodwill and empathy when it comes to fair enforcement and interpretation of the law. Women have always been positioned to either defend democracy or let it fall through legal action (or inaction) and supporting (or discrediting) other women who reported wrongdoing, like Anita Hill.
This book contains encouraging profiles of overlooked women, the heroes who have waged or are waging battles to save democracy. It gives insight into how we got where we are, and what is needed to change the tides. The author's outrage can be distracting and annoying at times (for a fun drinking game take a shot every time the phrase "Lock her up" appears), but there's good information here.
My biggest takeaways from the book are that the US government and justice system have an accountability problem when it comes to the men in power, and justice has always relied on goodwill and empathy when it comes to fair enforcement and interpretation of the law. Women have always been positioned to either defend democracy or let it fall through legal action (or inaction) and supporting (or discrediting) other women who reported wrongdoing, like Anita Hill.
This book contains encouraging profiles of overlooked women, the heroes who have waged or are waging battles to save democracy. It gives insight into how we got where we are, and what is needed to change the tides. The author's outrage can be distracting and annoying at times (for a fun drinking game take a shot every time the phrase "Lock her up" appears), but there's good information here.
November 19, 2022
Thank god for women who have had it up to here. We are all in their debt. The barbarians don’t have a prayer.
April 20, 2023
The story of so many women who didn't see themselves as change makers stepping up to fight for change using their unique skillsets is such an inspiration.
June 1, 2023
This isn't a book about legal issues specific to women, but it does try to explain why some woman lawyers in particular were so tenacious in their work to maintain equality in the years after the 2018 election. Sometimes, especially in the opening chapters, the ideas felt repetitive, but the later chapters, with their focus on specific legal issues, were often riviting.
The chapter on workplace harrasment was frustrating to read; I only vaguely recall following the Anita Hill hearings, and Lithwick frames the event as a failure of process and investigation. (Basically, why is the accuser the only one called as a witness when serious claims are made about people being considered for powerful government positions?)
The chapter on Stacey Abrams was probably my favorite; her prescience about voter restrictions and her sacrificial drive to protect voting rights make her story read like a hagiography.
The chapter on workplace harrasment was frustrating to read; I only vaguely recall following the Anita Hill hearings, and Lithwick frames the event as a failure of process and investigation. (Basically, why is the accuser the only one called as a witness when serious claims are made about people being considered for powerful government positions?)
The chapter on Stacey Abrams was probably my favorite; her prescience about voter restrictions and her sacrificial drive to protect voting rights make her story read like a hagiography.
January 8, 2023
An inspiring and thought provoking book about female lawyers and activists who took on issues of civil and human rights over the past several years, from the ban on Muslims entering the country to white nationalists marching in Charlottesville to voter suppression. Dahlia Lithwick expertly discusses law and policy and activism in a!way understandable and interesting to non lawyers and lawyers alike. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Charlottesville as Lithwick lived there and experienced the events of August 2017
December 31, 2022
Portraits of the women lawyers who were involved in many of the legal battles during the Trump administration. While much of these cases were difficult—and hard to read about—all were fascinating. Definitely recommended.
November 16, 2023
An amazing, informative, brilliant text that is exquisitely rendered! If only there were more stars on the rating system...five is so small a number. I bought three hard copies & placed them in free little libraries around town.
In 1873, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that women had no constitutional right to practice law. Indeed, as Dahlia Lithwick notes in this stirring book, a justice explained that the “natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life.” But, in reaction, women mobilized to change the laws — and, ultimately, to become lawyers themselves.
“Lady Justice” focuses specifically on the women who, since the election of 2016, have mobilized against Trumpism and its threats to the rule of law. Combining biography and analysis, Lithwick — a lawyer and writer who covers legal matters for Slate — profiles several members of the profession who may not yet be household names, but who have, in her view, done real work to save American democracy. From Sally Yates and Becca Heller, who fought against the travel ban on Muslim-majority nations in the earliest days of Trump’s presidency, to Brigitte Amiri and Vanita Gupta, two women of immigrant backgrounds who resisted, among other things, the president’s efforts to prevent abortions and separate families at the U.S.-Mexico border, “Lady Justice” illustrates how “in a constitutional democracy, enduring power lies in the people who step into the fight.” Lithwick’s approach, interweaving interviews with legal commentary, allows her subjects to shine. She unabashedly casts them as heroines with the tenacity and courage to resist governmental pressure at crucial moments, but at the same time she rejects a simplistic, naïve narrative of social progress.
In 1873, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that women had no constitutional right to practice law. Indeed, as Dahlia Lithwick notes in this stirring book, a justice explained that the “natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life.” But, in reaction, women mobilized to change the laws — and, ultimately, to become lawyers themselves.
“Lady Justice” focuses specifically on the women who, since the election of 2016, have mobilized against Trumpism and its threats to the rule of law. Combining biography and analysis, Lithwick — a lawyer and writer who covers legal matters for Slate — profiles several members of the profession who may not yet be household names, but who have, in her view, done real work to save American democracy. From Sally Yates and Becca Heller, who fought against the travel ban on Muslim-majority nations in the earliest days of Trump’s presidency, to Brigitte Amiri and Vanita Gupta, two women of immigrant backgrounds who resisted, among other things, the president’s efforts to prevent abortions and separate families at the U.S.-Mexico border, “Lady Justice” illustrates how “in a constitutional democracy, enduring power lies in the people who step into the fight.” Lithwick’s approach, interweaving interviews with legal commentary, allows her subjects to shine. She unabashedly casts them as heroines with the tenacity and courage to resist governmental pressure at crucial moments, but at the same time she rejects a simplistic, naïve narrative of social progress.
June 29, 2023
I give this book 5 stars in solidarity because I agree with the premise of the project (highlighting and celebrating important women in legal history), and admire the women highlighted here (both famous ones like Stacey Abrams, and folks people should know more about, like Pauli Murray and Nina Perales of MALDEF).
That said, the really well-written introduction led me to question the premise of the book--in quoting a Rebecca Solnit essay I also really like and admire that questions the “Great Man” theory of politics, I wonder if we need another book celebrating impactful individuals rather than groups and movements. In short, yes, in a world where we celebrate individuals, I’m glad we’re celebrating these ones--but in an ideal world, I wish we decentered individuals more and centered solidarity and groupwork more.
That said, the really well-written introduction led me to question the premise of the book--in quoting a Rebecca Solnit essay I also really like and admire that questions the “Great Man” theory of politics, I wonder if we need another book celebrating impactful individuals rather than groups and movements. In short, yes, in a world where we celebrate individuals, I’m glad we’re celebrating these ones--but in an ideal world, I wish we decentered individuals more and centered solidarity and groupwork more.
March 21, 2023
Lithwick interviewed many current prominent women lawyers and showed us how one person can have a massive influence. Most of the lawyers are prominent enough that I had heard of them but I wasn’t aware of their complete stories.
While the stories of the lawyers were inspiring, the state of our judicial system was not. I didn’t realize how underrepresented women are continuing to be in the judiciary. Even though there are more women law school graduates than men, women are not getting close to equal numbers of the crucial clerkships.
Lithwick’s writing makes this book well worth reading, just don’t expect to come out of it thrilled with the state of our justice system.
While the stories of the lawyers were inspiring, the state of our judicial system was not. I didn’t realize how underrepresented women are continuing to be in the judiciary. Even though there are more women law school graduates than men, women are not getting close to equal numbers of the crucial clerkships.
Lithwick’s writing makes this book well worth reading, just don’t expect to come out of it thrilled with the state of our justice system.
July 4, 2023
One quote: “It is and has always been a chiaroscuro journey through a legal system designed chiefly by men … for the principal purpose of advancing the lot of men.” Thank goodness the author finds the people, from Pauli Murray to Sally Q. Yates to Stacey Abrams, who have found a way to push for a better world where power, as Mary Beard puts it, might be codified and declawed. It ain’t easy, as events point out, but dropping out isn’t an option, as Anita Hill notes. Leaving the field would open it up to chaos, where the bad guys always win. An essential book for EVERYONE who cares about our nation.
November 26, 2023
Wow! This book was enlightening and empowering. It's a book I wish I could gift every woman in this Country, especially young women. I found the book a response to the current feeling of anger, frustration and powerlessness that women and other minority groups are facing right now. I learned a lot about the political and legal fights that largely go on behind the scenes and without fanfare.
My words don't do this book justice because I'm still processing much of what I read. I highly recommend this book. Oh and my new favorite catch phase: "Constitutionally sanctioned mansplaining."
My words don't do this book justice because I'm still processing much of what I read. I highly recommend this book. Oh and my new favorite catch phase: "Constitutionally sanctioned mansplaining."
June 5, 2023
While I loathe journalists and politicians who bank on book deals to tell their constituents the truth much later (as their book goes to print) instead of in the moment, and also anyone who abandons their responsibilities, I want to make sure this book is read. Lady Justice is going to be a book that’s important to remember so much of what we went through during so many unprecedented and uncertain times for years to come. Women will relate to it and nothing will feel shocking, but it’ll be the men who need to read and understand the concepts in this text.
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