Today I came across a quote by Earl Warren in an InfoWeek email bulletin: “Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.”

Not really knowing who Earl Warren was I found out quickly he was Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969. One of the most influential men of his day he is largely responsible for the Miranda Warning, secured a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education, headed the Warren Commission that studied JFK’s assassination, affirmed inter-racial marriage, and interpreted the Sixth Amendment to require all criminal defendants to receive publicly funded counsel. Wow! Warren turned out to be a much more liberal justice than Eisenhower intended at the time of his appointment.

Other Earl Warren quotes of interest to me:

• To get what you want, STOP doing what isn’t working.
• The police must obey the law while enforcing the law.
• I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.

So, other than picking up a few quotes that affirm my personal preferences this little excursion into history makes me ask the following question: if the courts wield so much power why don’t we pay more attention to them? Why don’t we learn about Supreme Court Justices like we learn about past Presidents?