Elena Kagan: A Biography

by Meg Greene

Overview

Readers seeking information about Elena Kagan—from her early life and her ascent to the Supreme Court to how she approaches questions of fairness, justice, equality, and civil rights—will find this biography engaging and invaluable.

Elena Kagan can be considered a "wild card" in terms of how she will vote and affect Supreme Court decisions. While largely considered a liberal, her lack of a judicial "track record" and previous work as Solicitor General lend an air of uncertainty as to how she will react to upcoming cases that have proven highly divisive and controversial.

This full-length biography sheds light on Elena Kagan's life, covering her college years at Princeton and her experience in law school as well as her legal career, which eventually led her to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Appropriate for high school, college, and adult readers, the book not only documents Justice Kagan's life, achievements, and the possibilities for the future, but also how Kagan is an inspiring role model who demonstrated independence, determination, and high achievement throughout her career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440828973
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/09/2013
Series:	Greenwood Biographies
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Meg Greene is a historian and author of numerous Greenwood biographies of significant individuals such as Sonia Sotomayor and Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword vii

Introduction ix

Timeline: Events in the Life of Elena Kagan xiii

Chapter 1 The Streets of New York 1

Chapter 2 Growing Up 13

Chapter 3 College Years 29

Chapter 4 Learning the Law 45

Chapter 5 The Makings of a Legal Scholar 59

Chapter 6 Practicing and Teaching 75

Chapter 7 At the White House 93

Chapter 8 Harvard and Washington 111

Chapter 9 Solicitor General 125

Chapter 10 Justice Kagan 139

Bibliography 155

Index 167

Editorial Reviews

[T]he bibliography, table of contents, timeline, and index do make it useful for a student or teacher.” —Association of Jewish Libraries

“The thorough coverage begins with a look at each individual's formative years—such as Elena Kagan's Jewish immigrant family—and shows how these events shaped personal and career paths. . . . The book also devotes considerable attention to Kagan's legal arguments and even explains how she did not always agree with her esteemed boss. Black-and-white photos, time lines, and extensive bibliographies round out [this] solid bio.” —Booklist

“A concise, fairly thorough, and well-written biography.” —ARBA

“This biography is a well-written, heavily researched look into the path that Elena Kagan took throughout her life to get to the position of Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. . . . This creates a full, rich context for young readers. . . . Recommended.” —Jewish Book Council

From the Publisher