The Chief

The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts

By: Joan Biskupic

Narrated by: Jennywren Walker

An incisive biography of the Supreme Court's enigmatic Chief Justice, taking us inside the momentous legal decisions of his tenure so far.
John Roberts was named to the Supreme Court in 2005 claiming he would act as a neutral umpire in deciding cases. His critics argue he has been anything but, pointing to his conservative victories on voting rights and campaign finance. Yet he broke from orthodoxy in his decision to preserve Obamacare. How are we to understand the motives of the most powerful judge in the land?
In The Chief, award-winning journalist Joan Biskupic contends that Roberts is torn between two, often divergent, priorities: to carry out a conservative agenda, and to protect the Court's image and his place in history. Biskupic shows how Roberts's dual commitments have fostered distrust among his colleagues, with major consequences for the law. Trenchant and authoritative, The Chief reveals the making of a justice and the drama on this nation's highest court.

Critic reviews

"The Chief offers an extraordinarily insightful, thoughtful and accessible analysis of Roberts's personal life, professional career, judicial experience and approach to constitutional interpretation. It is essential reading for anyone who truly wants to understand this pivotal moment in Supreme Court history."—Washington Post

"Assiduously reported and briskly written...[Biskupic] suggests that [Roberts] is pulled by two often-conflicting instincts. One is ideological: a desire to move the court rightward on race, religion and other issues. The other is institutional: an interest in the court being respected and seen as nonpolitical."—New York Times Book Review

"An approachable volume about subjects often unapproachable. Biskupic, who has covered the Supreme Court for a quarter century, captures the tensions within the group, the interplay among the justices, and the pressures brought to bear on them by outsiders...The Chief is an ample and amiable companion to such insider accounts as The Brethren, the classic 1979 book by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong, and The Nine, the influential 2007 book by Jeffrey Toobin."—Boston Globe

"A well-reported book, it sheds new light...As our attention spans dwindle to each frantic day's headlines, we can forget that the position of chief justice is one of long-term consequence."—Atlantic

"As Joan Biskupic's invaluable biography shows, Roberts is at once a committed Republican with very conservative policy preferences and ties to the conservative community, and an institutionalist who cares deeply about the nonpartisan character of the Court."—New York Review of Books

"Biskupic takes readers behind the scenes, revealing for the first time how Roberts swung back and forth in his deliberations before shocking everyone with his conclusion, preserving Obamacare on the slimmest of threads...Among [her] most valuable insights is how hard Roberts strives to be seen as apolitical when, in fact, he is not only savvy about politics but also is leading a body that is, inevitably, political."—Christian Science Monitor

"Ms. Biskupic is a skillful writer and a diligent scholar, and the John Roberts she presents here is a sympathetic and complex character."—Wall Street Journal

"Magnificent."—Slate

"[Biskupic] makes painfully clear that the defining feature of Roberts's legal career has been his relentless efforts to roll back any measures to combat racial inequality...Biskupic is unfailingly evenhanded, but what she describes is a calculated, sustained assault on the nation's civil rights laws by the most powerful judge in the country"—Washington Monthly

Excellent in every way!

This is great read/listen. It explains a lot of the MESS the USA is in.

Decent Book, but a Little Early

The book certainly is timely, but I tend to agree with Roberts in the epilogue that now might not be the best time to write it. It seems to be a relatively fair recounting of events without offering much in the way of actual analysis. The right will hate it and decry it as a political hack job, and the left won't think it goes far enough.

Biased and embarrassing

The background drama details on big cases are interesting, but the author too often editorializes in ways that are embarrassing to actual lawyers who know the details of the opinions. It sounds like the author had someone else write the summaries of a case and then threw it its own thoughts at the end. Also the narrator is too monotone and mispronounces “Posner”.

Chief Justice John Roberts Undercover

Critical rulings in race, wages, and religion have unveiled the Roberts Court as biased by design, despite some efforts to dissemble, and confuse. Despite protestations to the contrary, Roberts is using his power to steer the US Supreme Court hard right.

Wages for workers are merely collateral damage, when important freedoms for management are at stake. The most troubling aspects of the Roberts Court are predictable, based upon his biases by his racial & Catholic beliefs.

This umpire has a deep desire to win, not just “call balls and strikes.” His robes cloak a massive ego, given to repression of racial issues, and justifying his Catholic hierarchical instincts. In our world shifted by neuroscience powered by “Thinking Fast and Slow,” Roberts’ deference to elite control, will spell misery for millions of the working poor.

Worthwhile pursuit

For a non lawyer, this work opens the workings of the law and those charged with interpretation of the law. What comes across to me is the sometimes blatant disregard for the individual hurt placed on innocent, disadvantaged citizens, for the sake of rigid interpretations of the constitution.