Stephen Breyer

Roe v. Wade
July 19, 2010
House Resolution 1592
July 19, 2010

Stephen Breyer

Stephen Gerald Breyer (born August 15, 1938) is an American attorney, political figure, and jurist. Since 1994, he has served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton considered him for the seat vacated by Byron White that ultimately went to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Breyer’s appointment came shortly thereafter, however, following the retirement of Harry Blackmun in 1994, and Clinton nominated Breyer as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 17 of that year.

On the bench, Breyer generally takes a pragmatic approach to constitutional issues, interested more in producing coherence and continuity in the law than in following doctrinal, historical or textual strictures.

While considered somewhat moderate, Breyer most frequently sides with Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, generally acknowledged as the "liberal" wing of the court. He has consistently voted in favor of abortion rights, one of the most controversial areas of the Supreme Court’s docket.

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