Supreme Court Justices are n’t just a well - read bunch , they ’re a literary one , too . consort to a 2015 study , cleverly entitle “ Literary Justice ” [ PDF ] , the current Justices have repeatedly referenced Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll in their speeches and writing , quote each a aggregate of 16 times . They ’ve also quoted a range of other classic author , from the papist poet Ovid to classic twentieth century author like Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut .
Perhaps more than any other profession , lawyers and the law pattern prominently throughout the whole works of William Shakespeare . He drew frequent inhalation from the legal system , referencing lawyer in his penning , and incorporating effectual vernacular into his characters ’ soliloquies . In that sense , it ’s not surprising that the Supreme Court would draw inspiration from the Bard .
But according to a late article inThe Economist , the vapourous quantity and grasp of Shakespeare references by lawyers and Book of Judges around the world is jaw - dropping . They report that all 37 of Shakespeare ’s plays " have been quoted by American courts in over 800 discriminative persuasion . " That admit even single you ’ve never read ( or perchance even learn of ) likeTheTwo stately KinsmenandTimon of Athens .
The Economistreports that in one case , British lawyers arguing a 2008 boundary conflict turn toHamlet , calling the contested area “ a little mend of ground that hath no gain in it but the name . ” In another , French lawyers discussing criminal liability announce , “ I here proclaim was madness ” ( also fromHamlet ) . The term “ Shakespearian , ” meanwhile , has been used repeatedly to evoke a “ rise - and - fall narrative . ”
While Shakespeare may be one of the most popular reference point in the sound professing , Lewis Carroll also holds considerable careen , at least with today ’s Supreme Court . Though the writer of “ Literary Justice ” do n’t cater any theory as to why Shakespeare and Carroll have been cited the most , they do note that base on their resultant role , the two authors are “ potential to have meaning longevity in the Supreme Court . ”
[ h / t : economic expert ]
