David Souter

Details

Birth

September 17, 1939 · Melrose, Massachusetts

Death

Living

Law school

harvard university

Prior experience

U.s. court of appeals judge

Biography

David Hackett Souter (born September 17, 1939) served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1990 to 2009. Born in Melrose, Massachusetts, and raised in Weare, New Hampshire, Souter graduated from Harvard College in 1961, attended Magdalen College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1966. After briefly practicing law in Concord, New Hampshire, he served as New Hampshire's Attorney General from 1976 to 1978 and as an Associate Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court from 1983 to 1990. In May 1990, he was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. President George H.W. Bush nominated Souter to the Supreme Court in July 1990 following Justice William Brennan's retirement. Despite being appointed by a Republican president and initially viewed as a conservative, Souter evolved into a member of the Court's liberal wing, often voting with Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. His judicial philosophy emphasized pragmatic case-by-case analysis rather than rigid ideological adherence. Souter's most significant opinions include his plurality opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which reaffirmed the core holding of Roe v. Wade while allowing some state restrictions on abortion, and his dissent in Bush v. Gore (2000), where he argued the majority's decision lacked sufficient constitutional basis. Known for his intellectual rigor, extensive legal research, and reclusive personal life, Souter retired in 2009 and returned to New Hampshire, leaving behind a legacy as a thoughtful jurist who defied partisan expectations through his independent constitutional interpretation.

Notable opinions

• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey
• Bush v. Gore