In The People’s Justice, Judge Amul Thapar adroitly assumes the role of storyteller to defend an influential and controversial jurist’s reputation. He recounts twelve prominent cases that have come before Justice Clarence Thomas during his thirty-two-year term on the Supreme Court. The book makes the case that in all twelve instances Justice Thomas faithfully fulfilled his duties as a judge, defending the freedom of each individual citizen and the integrity of the United States Constitution itself.
Like any effective jurist, Judge Thapar marshals all evidence in support of his claim. He presents not only the legal aspects of each case, but also its surrounding personal drama, political landscape, and historic context. As a result, each chapter reads almost like dramatic fiction, with succinct explanations of key legal principles and theories, such as originalism, woven smoothly into the prose.
Even critics of Justice Thomas will be edified by this work, which provides human-interest stories and serves as an astoundingly reader-friendly legal primer. For example, the chapter on Zelman v. Simmons-Harris tells the story of Cleveland parents defending their freedom to choose their children’s schools. Without interrupting the story’s flow, the chapter also explains, in plain English, the important legal doctrine of “incorporation,” which expanded the Bill of Rights’ protections of individual freedom.
