Arthur Goldberg

Details

Birth

August 8, 1908 · Chicago, Illinois

Death

January 19, 1990

Law school

northwestern university

Prior experience

Various legal and public service prior to appointment

Biography

Arthur Joseph Goldberg (August 8, 1908 – January 19, 1990) was an American statesman and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1962 to 1965. Born to Russian Jewish immigrants in Chicago, Goldberg grew up in poverty and worked his way through Northwestern University School of Law, graduating summa cum laude in 1930. He established himself as a prominent labor attorney, representing major unions including the United Steelworkers of America and playing a crucial role in the merger that created the AFL-CIO in 1955. His expertise in labor law brought him to national attention and led to his appointment as Secretary of Labor under President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Kennedy nominated Goldberg to the Supreme Court in 1962 following Justice Felix Frankfurter's retirement. During his brief tenure, Goldberg emerged as a liberal voice advocating for civil liberties and individual rights. He authored significant opinions in cases involving labor relations and criminal procedure, including his concurrence in *Griswold v. Connecticut* (1965), where he helped establish the constitutional right to privacy. Goldberg was also notable for his opposition to the death penalty, arguing it violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. His judicial philosophy emphasized protecting the rights of individuals against government overreach and supporting the expansion of civil liberties. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson persuaded Goldberg to resign from the Court to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations, a decision Goldberg later regretted. His Supreme Court legacy, though brief, contributed to the Warren Court's expansion of constitutional protections for individual rights and established important precedents in privacy and criminal justice jurisprudence.

Notable opinions

• Griswold v. Connecticut
• Cox v. Louisiana