Justice Samuel Alito Releases First Book Amid Court Turmoil

On Tuesday, Justice Samuel Alito released *So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country*. The volume compiles speeches he has delivered since 2007, covering abortion, originalism, the Court’s emergency docket, and threats to judicial independence. The book arrives as the Supreme Court begins a new term marked by a surge in emergency applications and heightened public criticism.

Orlando Sentinel

Alito joined the Court in 2006 after nomination by President George W. Bush. Over two decades he has become a leading voice of the Court’s 6-3 conservative bloc and authored the 2022 majority opinion overturning *Roe v. Wade*. The release coincides with his recent hospitalization for dehydration (March 20) and his return to work (March 23).

Newsweek

• A July Marquette Law School poll found 34 % of adults had not heard of Alito, a figure surpassed only by Justices Neil Gorsuch and Elena Kagan; an additional 27 % said they lacked enough information to form an opinion.

The Hill

• A Gallup survey released September 30 reported 34 % approval and 61 % disapproval of the Supreme Court overall.

Newsweek

• Pew Research Center polling shows roughly 60 % of Americans disapproved of the Court’s decision to overturn *Roe v. Wade*.

The Guardian

Alito warned that “harsh rhetoric” from presidents and officials “damages public trust” in the judiciary. In a CBS News interview he said he “thought about” retirement each term but believes he can still make a valuable contribution. Regarding a climate-change case, he described his recusal as “a judgment call” after “very, very serious consideration,” noting the Court’s ethics office approved his participation. He rejected the notion that his decisions advance any “MAGA” agenda, insisting he decides “on the merits” regardless of the president.

Orlando Sentinel

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has criticized the Court’s “shadow docket,” arguing it allows major policy changes without full briefing. Legal scholars and watchdog groups have highlighted Alito’s stock holdings in oil companies, noting the holdings stem from an inheritance to his wife and that the Court’s ethics office cleared his participation in the related case.

Newsweek

Polling on Alito’s public profile varies: the Marquette poll emphasizes name recognition, while Gallup focuses on overall court approval. No source provides a precise count of emergency applications, only Alito’s qualitative comparison to the regular docket. Critics such as Justice Jackson suggest procedural reforms could mitigate the issue, leaving the effectiveness of any future changes uncertain.

Newsweek

• “Today, freedom of speech on important subjects is in greater danger than at any prior time in my lifetime,” — Justice Samuel Alito

The Hill

• “We are not part of any political movement,” — Justice Samuel Alito

The Guardian

These statements capture Alito’s concerns about free speech, the Court’s non-partisan self-characterization, and his reaction to escalating public criticism.

The Hill