Booktalking "Elena Kagan: A Biography" by Meg Greene

kagan

Elena Kagan was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Obama in 2010. Since then, she has written opinions that are known for their clarity. She does not speak up much or ask many questions, but her comments have poignancy when she does opine about matters. At present, she is one of three female Supreme Court justices. 

Kagan had an illustrious career before she made it to the nation's highest judicial function. After she obtained her law degree, she clerked with Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She learned much from Marshall; she loved debating the legal and political aspects of each case that the Court chose to consider, out of the thousands that come before the Court each year.

She continued in this realm with the students that she taught at Harvard University. They adored her outgoing, questioning nature. She could be demanding with her students, but they learned much from her. Eventually, she became dean of Harvard Law School in 2003. She met Obama before he became president, and he was impressed enough with her to invite her to join the highest court.

Elena Kagan: a Biography by Meg Greene, 2014

 

It is interesting that Kagan encouraged practice of the Bat Mitzvah tradition for girls in Judaism in Manhattan, where she grew up. She did not think it was fair to deny girls the same religous involvement that their male counterparts enjoyed. 

 

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