Last Branch Standing

Pastor’s Bookshelf - Welcome to my bookshelf! 

Each month I will discuss a recent book that I’ve finished. 

This month I’d like to talk about 

Last Branch Standing

By Sarah Isgur

Now I'll admit that this recommendation is a bit revealing of my inner nerd - but it's a great read. Sarah Isgur is the host of my favorite podcast "Advisory Opinions" (co-hosted by David French) where they break down Supreme Court cases and arguments twice a week. This is her first book, and it became basically an instant new york times bestseller. She has a chapter on each of the current Justices, humanizing them in a really wonderful way. She also details the specifics of what working with the Supreme Court looks like (did YOU know there was a basketball court on the roof of the Supreme Court building called "the highest court in the land"? - and one time a supreme court justice who had to recuse himself from a case got in trouble for being too loud playing basketball DURING a court session?)

She also explores her theories on some of the common misconceptions circling the court (which has been in the news a lot lately), and outlines a lot of her philosophies of the court (such as "Bad man stays in jail") and puts forward her most important thesis which is that the court is best understood NOT as a 6-3 ideological split, but as a 3-3-3 court split along both ideological AND institutional axis. Sarah has a talent for taking really complicated (and probably boring) content and making it truly accessible for the average layman, which I think is why I enjoy the work so much. If you're curious about the Supreme Court - I HIGHLY recommend this book (although I would also give it an "explicit" warning label for language - there are a few opinions that she quotes that include profanity).