Justice Samuel Alito, a stalwart of the Supreme Court's conservative wing for over two decades, is stepping into the literary arena with his first book. Titled So Ordered: An Originalist's View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country, the volume compiles and adapts speeches he has delivered since 2007, offering a window into his judicial philosophy and his concerns about the nation's legal and cultural trajectory.
The book, released Tuesday, arrives as the Court opens a new term packed with politically charged cases, including a landmark climate liability case against oil giants. Alito, now 76, has long been known as an introverted figure on the bench, but the publication thrusts him further into the public sphere at a time when public opinion polls show many Americans still lack a clear impression of him.
In the book, Alito revisits themes he has sounded in speeches over the years, including a stark warning about free speech. "Today, freedom of speech on important subjects is in greater danger than at any prior time in my lifetime," he wrote in an adapted 2017 address to a conservative think tank. He also included a 2024 speech at a Catholic university where he observed, "Many students don't want to hear arguments they find objectionable. And many others are afraid of speaking freely."
The collection also features his 2010 call for judicial independence: "Let judges be judges. For if they are not, our legal system, as we know it, will fade away." Alito writes that the speeches were never intended to be compiled, but their publication offers a rare, consolidated look at his views on originalism, abortion, and the pressures facing the judiciary.
Notably, the book includes his 2020 virtual address to the Federalist Society, where he decried pandemic-era restrictions on civil liberties as a "constitutional stress test." That speech drew criticism from liberals, but Alito stands by its message. The section is titled "Threats to the Constitution."
Alito, who authored the 2022 opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, does not shy away from the abortion debate in the book. In a recent interview with Fox News Sunday, he said he anticipated the decision would anger many, but not the specific backlash, including the leak of his draft opinion and the assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The Court has never identified the leaker, but Alito told Fox he has suspicions, though the evidence is insufficient to name anyone publicly.
Despite his role in one of the most consequential rulings in recent history, Alito remains relatively unknown to the public. A July Marquette Law School poll found that 34% of adults had never heard of him, and another 27% hadn't formed an opinion—numbers only worse for Justices Neil Gorsuch and Elena Kagan.
Alito has not announced a book tour, and he declined an interview request from The Hill. As he took his seat Monday for the start of his 22nd term, he recused from the first case, a climate suit against fossil fuel producers, and was seen sharing a light moment with Chief Justice John Roberts. The book's release, however, ensures that the spotlight on Alito will only intensify as the term unfolds.
