Symposium: Brown v. Board of Education and Its Legacy: A Tribute to Justice Thurgood Marshall, Public Law Litigation and the Ambiguties of Brown

Abstract

Professor Tushnet posits that the Supreme Court's concern for gradually carrying out desegregation in the public schools ironically gave rise to "'public law litigation"---an aggressive form ofjudicial review. Specifically. Professor Tushnet argues that the "all deliberate speed" standard, which separated the right from the remedy, enabled the courts to become a more powerful institution in shaping social policy. Throughout his speech, Professor Tushnet provides insight into the thought processes of the Supreme Court justices at the time of the Brown decision.