During the thirty-three years William Rehnquist has been on the Supreme Court, nineteen as Chief Justice, significant developments have defined the American legal landscape. This book is a legal biography of Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the United States Supreme Court and the legacy he created. It is an intensive examination of his thirty-three year legacy as a Supreme Court Justice based on his Court opinions, primarily in the area of constitutional law.
It is written by a group of legal scholars each of whom is a specialist in the area covered by his/her chapter. The focus of the book is on Rehnquist's own legacy, not necessarily that of the Court which he headed. Thus emphasis is placed not only on the goals which he achieved, but on those that he failed to achieve.