We current Justices read the Constitution in the only way that we can: as Twentieth Century Americans... For the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in a world that is dead and gone, but in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs.

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Brennan, William Joseph, Jr. Speech at Georgetown University. Text and Teaching Symposium. 12 Oct. 1985. Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. Speech.

Current Citation

Brennan, William Joseph, Jr. Quoted in Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints. Written by Lee J. Epstein and Thomas G. Walker. CQ Press, 1992.