Brandeis, Louis Dembitz, << BRAN dys, LOO ihs DEHM bihts >> (1856-1941), was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1916 to 1939. He became known for his struggle for economic, social, and political justice. He joined Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., in writing numerous opinions, many of them powerful dissents (disagreements with the court’s majority). These opinions supported social legislation, free speech, and the right to privacy. Brandeis also became known for his belief that the Supreme Court should not decide on legal issues that can be resolved by Congress.
Brandeis was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 13, 1856. After graduation from Harvard, he practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri, and in Boston. He became known as the “People’s Attorney” because he often worked for the reform of big business and of powerful financial institutions. He supported such changes as minimum wages and shorter hours for working women and children. He died in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 5, 1941.
