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Justice Stephen Breyer in conversation with André Bernard – SOLD OUT
We have an exciting announcement! Given the overwhelming response to this In Conversation event with Justice Stephen Breyer, we are partnering with Lenox Schools to move the program to the Lenox Memorial Middle & High School Duffin Theater, 197 East Street, Lenox, MA. This means the event will go on — in air conditioning! — regardless of weather conditions. Information about the Duffin can be found here.
In its third year, In Conversation brings together seasoned interviewer André Bernard, former Vice President of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, with innovative thinkers and influential voices whose contributions shape our culture today. Crossing the fields of politics, journalism, social science, and the arts, these conversations will explore fresh perspectives that spark curiosity and ignite new ways of thinking about the world.
Justice Stephen Breyer
Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and author of Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism
Friday, August 1, 5:00 pm
Doors open at 4:15 pm
Duffin Theater | 197 East Street Lenox, MA
In August, we welcome Justice Stephen Breyer to The Mount. Justice Breyer is retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, where he served for 28 years—from his appointment in 1994 by President Clinton until his retirement in 2022. In response to the rise of textualism, a judicial philosophy encouraging the interpretation of language as it was understood at the time documents were written, Justice Breyer published Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism (2024), a book that looks back on the judicial precedent of Chief Justice John Marshal, who established that the Constitution must be a workable set of principles open to interpretation by subsequent generations. Most important in interpreting law, states Breyer, is to understand the statutes as well as the consequences of deciding a case one way or another.
The Honorable Stephen Breyer is a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Born in San Francisco in 1938, he is a graduate of Stanford, Oxford, and Harvard Law School. He has taught law for many years as a professor at Harvard Law School and at the Kennedy School of Government. He has also worked as a Supreme Court law clerk (for Justice Arthur Goldberg), a Justice Department lawyer (antitrust division), an Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutor, and Chief Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 1980, he was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit by President Carter, becoming Chief Judge in 1990. In 1994, he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Clinton. He has written books and articles about a range of legal topics, including administrative law, economic regulation, and the U.S. Constitution. His books include Active Liberty (2005), Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge’s View (2010), The Court and the World (2015), The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics (2021), and Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism (2024). His wife, Joanna, was born in Great Britain and is a retired clinical psychologist. They have three children—Chloe, Nell, and Michael—and seven grandchildren.
Photo: The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
This program has reached full capacity!
Tickets are no longer available.
Please note: tickets will not be available the day of the event at the door. We kindly request that those without tickets do not come to the Theater as parking at Lenox Memoria Middle & High School is limited. Thank you for your understanding and support!
- This one-hour talk takes place at Lenox Memorial Middle & High School Duffin Theater, 197 East Street, Lenox, MA.
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Doors will open at 4:15 pm.
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Parking at the Duffin Theater will be coordinated by the Lenox Police Department. Parking will be limited! If you are joining friends for this event, please consider carpooling to ease the stress on the parking lot. The Lenox PD will ensure that all emergency and fire lanes are kept clear. In the event that parked vehicles infringe on public safety, the driver will be asked to move their vehicle. If the vehicle’s owner cannot be found, the vehicle may be towed. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
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Accessible parking spaces will also be limited — please consider arriving early to ensure availability of a handicapped space. We will have a designated passenger drop-off zone in front of the Theater.
- Seating for all programs at The Mount is first come, first served. If you have seating preferences, we recommend arriving fifteen minutes early.
- Please Note: Justice Breyer will not answer questions regarding the current political climate and cases that are pending or likely to come before the Supreme Court. Please focus your questions on his book Reading the Constitution and other judicial matters.
- A book signing will follow this talk. Books can be purchased from The Mount Bookstore at the event or online from Bookshop.org.
Questions? Email: programs@edithwharton.org
This program is sponsored by:
What accessibility accommodations does The Mount offer? The Mount is a Massachusetts Cultural Council UP designated organization welcoming participants of all disabilities. Please contact us by phone: 413-551-5100 or by email: info@edithwharton.org to discuss accommodations needed to participate fully in this event. Golf carts will be available to shuttle those with mobility concerns between the parking lot and event venue. View The Mount’s Health and Safety Guidelines.