Antonin Scalia
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
1936 - 2016
The most influential proponent of originalism and textualism, whose sharp intellect and vivid writing reshaped how Americans debate constitutional interpretation.
Biography
Antonin Scalia served on the Supreme Court from 1986 to 2016, becoming the intellectual leader of the conservative legal movement and the most prominent advocate for originalism as a method of constitutional interpretation. A former law professor and federal appellate judge, Scalia brought a combative intellect, literary flair, and unwavering commitment to textualism that transformed legal discourse.
Scalia's core conviction was that the Constitution should be interpreted according to its original public meaning at the time of enactment, not as a living document that evolves with societal values. His book A Matter of Interpretation (1997) and his judicial opinions advanced this philosophy with remarkable force and clarity, making originalism a mainstream interpretive approach.
Beyond originalism, Scalia was a fierce advocate of textualism in statutory interpretation, insisting that courts should focus on the text of a statute rather than legislative history or purpose. His influence in this area was arguably even greater than in constitutional law, as courts across the country adopted stricter textual approaches in his wake.
Major Accomplishments
- 1Made originalism a mainstream method of constitutional interpretation
- 2Authored District of Columbia v. Heller, establishing an individual right to bear arms
- 3Transformed statutory interpretation through rigorous textualism
- 4Published A Matter of Interpretation, a foundational text of interpretive theory
- 5Reshaped the Confrontation Clause in Crawford v. Washington
Notable Opinions & Cases
District of Columbia v. Heller
2008
Established for the first time that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms
Crawford v. Washington
2004
Revolutionized Confrontation Clause doctrine by requiring cross-examination of testimonial statements
Employment Division v. Smith
1990
Held that neutral, generally applicable laws need not accommodate religious practices, narrowing free exercise protections
Morrison v. Olson (dissent)
1988
Lone dissent against the independent counsel statute, later vindicated when the law was allowed to expire
Legacy
Scalia fundamentally changed the terms of constitutional debate in America. Before Scalia, originalism was a marginal approach; by the time of his death, it was the dominant conservative methodology and a serious challenger to living constitutionalism. His textualist approach to statutory interpretation won converts across the ideological spectrum. Even his intellectual opponents acknowledged that his influence on legal thought was enormous.
Famous Quotes
“The Constitution is not a living organism. It's a legal document, and it says what it says and doesn't say what it doesn't say.”
“If you're going to be a good and faithful judge, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you're not always going to like the conclusions you reach.”
“The judge who always likes the results he reaches is a bad judge.”
“A law can be both economic folly and constitutional.”