Timeline Image:
Louis D. Brandeis, ca. 1910
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Timeline Story:
Image Caption
Louis D. Brandeis, ca. 1910
Louis D. Brandeis, ca. 1910
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Image 1 of 1
History of Congress and the Capitol
The Senate 1913-1945
History of Congress and the Capitol
The Senate 1913-1945
Louis D. Brandeis—called the “People’s Lawyer”— had built a national reputation by fighting monopolies and defending consumers. He also was the first person of Jewish descent nominated to the Supreme Court. In the furious 1916 confirmation battle, opponents of the controversial lawyer, some veiling their anti-Semitism, called Brandeis a dangerous radical lacking judicial temperament.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held unprecedented public hearings on the Brandeis nomination. Prominent witnesses assailed Brandeis as unfit to serve. President Woodrow Wilson staunchly defended his nominee as “a friend of all just men and a lover of the right.” The Senate ultimately confirmed Brandeis by a vote of 47–22. During his 23 years on the bench, Louis Brandeis earned a place as one of the Supreme Court’s most respected and influential members.
"... a friend of all just men and a lover of the right."
—President Woodrow Wilson, describing Louis D. Brandeis, May 5, 1916