Three Terms of the Kennedy Court: Projecting the Future of Constitutional Doctrine

Kenneth M. Murchison, LSU Law Center

Abstract

This Article evaluates the likely direction of constitutional doctrine now that Justice Kennedy is clearly the pivotal justice on most controversial constitutional issues. The article begins with a summary of Justice Kennedy’s positions on a range of constitutional issues and of his influence on constitutional doctrine in the decade before Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito joined the Court. It then examines the closely divided decisions of the last three terms and projects how constitutional doctrine is likely to change for the foreseeable future. Finally, it considers the extent to which stare decisis, changes in Justice Kennedy’s thought, and the likely appointment of new justices might qualify the projections.