Rating: 
Summary: A Disgrace
Review: One of the most sacred duties of a law clerk, from the Supreme Court or any other court, is to keep what he learns during his job secret. What Lazarus did, in the name of making a buck, is simply dishonest. He breached the trust placed on him by the justices of the court and his fellow clerks. What a shame. I believe that Lazarus should be forever banned fron supreme court practice. By the way, the book is dreadful.
Rating: 
Summary: Fails to deliver
Review: Over the course of Lazarus's 500 page tome, I'd guess that, at most, 50 pages are dedicated to the ostensible subject: the behind the scenes workings of the Court. Lazarus describes an extensive Supreme Court history of three divisive issues: capital punishment, race-based remedies, and abortion (the first and last issues covered more completely than race). While he does a fine job with this material, it was not what I expected to find in "Closed Chambers." Those looking for the "inside scoop" are advised to stick with "The Brethren," a book that actually delivers what was promised.
Rating: 
Summary: detailed account of a court run amuck
Review: The first two books any layman student of the modern Supreme Court should read are "The Brethren" and this one.The Brethen covers what I think is a more interesting period in the courts history, but Closed Chambers provides much more detail of the inner workings of the Court, and reveals the hypocracy of some of the justices.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and Informative
Review: The inside workings of perhaps one of the least understood branches of government is like a breath of fresh air. I just finished reading "From Trial Court to the United States Supreme Court" which should be a companion book for anyone reading this worthwhile work, because it demonstrates with the same chilling clarity how the disease of "judicial activism" has spread, literally throughout the judicial system. I don't see the fault as equally shared, however. I think liberals recklessly moved the courts toward dangerous activism, and that the conservative (albiet slim) majority now in control is doing what needs to be done, by bringing the court back to a more centrist position -- yes centrist. Anyway, Lazarus has done us all a favor with his marvelous work. I recommend it strongly.
Rating:
Summary: Closed Minds¿
Review: The Supreme Court is supposed to be a place where the finest legal minds/scholars of the Constitution rule on the ultimate validity of a laws' application, a new laws' legitimacy, and whether or not it adheres to the Constitution that is meant to govern our nation. Like many grand institutions it can no longer be counted on to deliver blind justice to our Nation. As very public events of only 24 hours ago demonstrate, it is as partisan, and bi-polar as any other political forum. I am not suggesting this is a novelty with the current court, rather they have allowed themselves to deteriorate as a functioning unit, into the same fractured groups that are pleading their own self interested views of the law before them. When I first read this book I was surprised by the conduct of many of the court members. I know this sounds naive, however I had held on to the idea that Justices appointed for life, men and woman who had risen as far as they ever could, would bring all their expertise, and over time leave some of their prejudices behind. I thought that the junior members of the Court would respect legal legends in this Country like Justice Thurgood Marshall and his peers. Not automatically defer to them, but not openly disdain them either. Mr. Edward Lazarus is not the first to write on this topic, but he was inside the Court. If only a portion of the occurrences he describes took place, the court is as partisan as Congress. The role that Law Clerks play, and the impact they can have are obscene. Regardless of their academic performance and the potential they may hold, that is still only what they are, very junior novices that lack the decades of experience of those they should be serving. Their influence on a decision should be nil. That the justices allow themselves to be influenced by efficient clerks is appalling. This book is readable by the layperson, however those with a legal background will certainly gain more from it. It is also true that not every source is identified, but I do not believe much of this information would be shared on the record by anyone who planned to remain in his or her position in government. This allowance having been made, this book will inform you, and either confirm what you knew, or dishearten the reader. The last several days have made this book, and others like it, critically important. As the recent continuing election has demonstrated beyond any dispute, candidates confuse their egos with The Nations' Best Interest. They place themselves before and above those they pretend they wish to serve. Their political careers are limited, but that is no defense for their infantile, selfish behavior. The Justices of the Supreme Court have no term limit to use as an excuse or justification for their conduct; as they may hold their places until they are carried from the building as inert as the system they do not serve.
Rating:
Summary: The Wall Street Journal OpEd is Wrong about this book!
Review: The Wall Street Journal, April 13, 1998, OpEd piece by Richard W. Painter, professor of law, is wrong! I have not yet read the book, but bought it specifically because Mr. Painter was so negative about the fact that author Lazarus has improperly taken confidential materials from the time he was a clerk in the Supreme Court. I personally believe society has just started moving through a major change in how we regard honesty in high places. No matter where you come out about Clinton and Monica, politics will never be the same! No future politician can consider running for office if he has "bad" skeletons in his closet -- he will either start his campaign with suitable confessions, or not start. Lazarus may well have violated laws or the ethics rules of the Supreme Court, but there are higher levels of obligation in a moral society. Those including blowing the whistle on the centers of power where secrecy has too long been protected by laws and rules. I look forward to reading the book. The "review" by the Law Professor will backfire on him because there are more and more people seeking the truth about our government. I expect author Lazarus to help me find some of that out.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this book!
Review: This book is a liberal law clerk's self-aggrandizing portrait of his year clerking for a liberal Supreme Court Justice in an increasingly anti-liberal age. As Mr. Lazarus is unable to accept that anyone could see law as anything other than politics, he tends to see everyone as either an angel (that is, a liberal like himself) or a devil (that is, conservative). As a result, his book is basically a recounting of how in the late 80s, the evil conservative Justices (and their evil conservative clerks, dubbed the "cabal") first overpowered the saintly liberals (and their saintly liberal clerks, the Author included). The focus of the book is on how this dynamic played out with all of the liberal sacred cows, especially the death penalty, abortion, and affirmative action. Predictably, liberal victories that establish new "rights" are heralded by Lazarus as the Court making the noble promises of the Constitutuion a reality; in contrast, conservative victories are condemned as naked politics by unprincipled fascists. Lazarus does include some token criticism of his liberal brethren to try to take the bite out of his obvious biases, but it is so half-hearted that you won't for a minute think that he means it. In the end, Lazarus's book says more about his myopic understanding of law than it does about how the Supreme Court functions. If anything, you come away from the book feeling that whatever power the Supreme Court wields in our society, you don't want arrogant and self-righteous people like Lazarus involved in the process. I recommend sticking with Woodward's "The Brethren," which is infinitely more insightful.
Rating:
Summary: No surprise - it's not just a court!
Review: This book is extremely helpful for someone who wants to understand how the US Supreme Court reaches its decisions. Since it became the final arbiter in (too hot to handle) political questions it was inevitable that it became a political rather than a judicial institution. This is rather perplexing, especially to a European reader where courts a (relatively) non-political. Having read this book one understands the Court and its inner workings, the competing staffs and all that, so much better. So decisions like the one over the Florida vote are no suprise at all!
Rating:
Summary: Three Reasons to read the book
Review: This book is noteworthy for 3 reasons: 1) There is surprisingly little written on the inner workings of the SC and this book provides a good deal of detail about it; 2) It provides stellar insights into the characters of the Justices themselves--something largely unknown even though they are arguably the most powerful people in the nation; and 3) It marks the court at a time where it was at its most volatile and subject to the greatest change with 5 Reagan-Bush appointees changing the makeup and direction of the court within a short period. It does largely take a more liberal view of the issues. I can look past that since he does the conservatives justice by elaborating on their perspective and how they perceive the issues based on their legal philosphies and the book is fair about it. Also, since he was on the side of the aged, liberal guard, it makes only sense his perspective would be skewed by his position, which he is not afraid to admit. However, he does take a sort of middle ground approach bridging the gap between the neo-conservative justices (Scalia, Rehnquist) and the old libs of Brennan and Marshall. Its a good book. Its not great. But given the lack of other books on the subject with as much inside information, it definitely is one worth reading. If you are interested in the law at all, take abortion or death penalty issues seriously, or just want to know how the SC operates, this book will not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Every lawyer should read this one!
Review: This book presents a balanced, behind-the-scenes analysis of the real Supreme Court, not previously known or appreciated, but which explains the apparent uncompromising division within the Rehnquist Court so-often evidenced in its decisions. The book's disclosures more than justify the not-unexpected criticisms.
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