A spotlight on Clarence Thomas and an explainer on one person, one vote.

Why Clarence Thomas So Often Stands Alone

Why Clarence Thomas So Often Stands Alone

Law and the Supreme Court justices who interpret it.
June 13 2015 2:05 PM

Amicus: A Certain Justice

In the courtroom Justice Clarence Thomas has been as silent as ever this term. But on paper he has been anything but.

Clarence Thomas.
Alone together: Justice Clarence Thomas poses with other justices during a group photograph at the Supreme Court building on Sept. 29, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Listen to Episode 20 of Slate’s Amicus:

In the past couple of weeks, the famously silent Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas has been especially vociferous on paper. But in the strong stances he has taken, Thomas has not had much company. On this week’s episode, Dahlia is joined by Carrie Severino to consider the role Thomas has played on the Roberts court. Severino is chief counsel and policy director for the Judicial Crisis Network, and a former clerk to Thomas.

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In the second half of the podcast, Dahlia turns to a major election law case scheduled for next term’s Supreme Court docket. The case involves a challenge to the bedrock principle of “one person, one vote.” Dahlia is joined by historian Douglas Smith for an in-depth look at that principle, its origins, and what it would mean should it be overturned.

Please let us know what you think of our legal affairs podcast. Our email is amicus@slate.com.

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This week’s excerpts from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Podcast production by Tony Field. 

Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus.