35 Louis Brandeis Quotes From The Influential Supreme Court Justice

Louis Dembitz Brandeis is the former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Louis Dembitz Brandeis's birth took place in Louisville, Kentucky on 13 November 1856. He graduated from the reputed Harvard Law school at the age of 20 and was popularly known for his works on progressive social causes.

He helped develop the 'Right to privacy' concept in early 1890 by writing a Harvard law review article. A law firm named Nutter McClennen & Fish was founded by  Louis Dembitz, which is still in practice. President Woodrow Wilson nominated him in 1916 to be a member of the Supreme Court. Read on for Louis Brandeis quotes sunlight and Louis Brandeis quotes democracy, plus more, all perfect for law students and fans of justice alike.

To learn more about the Presidents and justice, why not check out Woodrow Wilson and [Justice]?

‍

Being a Supreme Court Justice of the United States, these Louis D Brandeis quotes are well related to the law firms and cases. Below are the best Louis D Brandeis quotes.

1."Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers."

-Louis Brandeis, 'Olmstead v. United States quotes., 277 U.S. 438 (1928) (dissenting)'.

2." America has believed that in differentiation, not in uniformity, lies the path of progress. It acted on this belief; it has advanced human happiness, and it has prospered."

-Louis D Brandeis.

3."If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable."

-Louis D Brandeis.

4."We must make our choice. We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both."

-Louis D Brandeis.

5." For my tax evasion, I should be punished. For my tax avoidance, I should be commended. The tragedy of life today is that so few people know that the free bridge even exists."

-Louis D Brandeis.

6."Experience teaches us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent."

-Louis D Brandeis.

7."The so-called control of life insurance companies by policy-holders through mutualization is a farce” and “its only result is to keep in office a self-constituted, self-perpetuating management."

-Louis D Brandeis.

8."If we would guide by the light of reason we must let our minds be bold."

-Louis D Brandeis.

9."If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy."

-Louis D Brandeis.

10."Behind every argument is someone's ignorance."

-Louis D Brandeis.

11."If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you."

-Louis D Brandeis.

12."The organisation can never be a substitute for initiative and judgement."

-Louis D Brandeis.

13."If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."

-Louis D Brandeis, 'Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927)'.

14."The general rule of law is, that the noblest of human productions - knowledge, truths ascertained, conceptions, and ideas - become, after voluntary communication to others, free as the air to common use."

-Louis D Brandeis.

15."Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears."

-Louis D Brandeis.

16."Those who won our independence...valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty."

-Louis D Brandeis.

Louis D Brandeis is a person who believes in a democratic society. Here are some Louis D Brandeis quotes on democracy, regarding the greatest dangers to liberty and the United States.

17."Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that all men are equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and the other, the conviction that such equal opportunity will most advance civilization."

-Louis D Brandeis.

18."In the frank expression of conflicting opinion lies the greatest promise of wisdom in governmental action, and in suppression lies ordinarily the greatest peril."

-Louis D Brandeis.

19."Neutrality is at times a graver sin than belligerence."

-Louis D Brandeis.

Louis D Brandeis encourages speaking in public to share and express their ideas. Here are a few poetic justice quotes on speech.

20."Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify suppression of free speech and assembly."

-Louis D Brandeis.

21."We cannot say that the public interests to which we have adverted, and others, are not sufficient to warrant the State in taking the whole business of banking under its control. "

-Louis D Brandeis.

22."Our government...teaches the whole people by its example."

-Louis D Brandeis.

23."We are not won by arguments that we can analyze, but by tone and temper; by the manner, which is the man himself."

-Louis D Brandeis.

24."If you would guide by the light of reason we must let our minds be bold."

-Louis D Brandeis.

25."To declare that in the administration of criminal law the end justifies the means to declare that the Government may commit crimes to secure a conviction of a private criminal would bring terrible retribution."

-Louis D Brandeis.

26.The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding."

-Louis D Brandeis.

27."There are no shortcuts in evolution."

-Louis D Brandeis.

28."Thus four distinct functions, each essential to business, and each exercised, originally, by a distinct set of men, became united in the investment banker."

-Louis D Brandeis.

29."I think all of our human Experience shows that no one with absolute power can be trusted to give it up even in part."

-Louis D Brandeis.

30."Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."

-Louis D Brandeis.

31."There is no good writing; there is only good rewriting."

-Louis D Brandeis.

32."The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people."

-Louis D Brandeis.

33."The only title in our democracy superior to that of President is the title of citizen."

-Louis D Brandeis.

34."The rightmost valued by all civilized men is the right to be left alone."

-Louis D Brandeis.

35."Crime is contagious...if the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law."

-Louis D Brandeis.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 35 Louis Brandeis quotes from the influential Supreme Court Justice, then why not take a look at Harry Truman quotes, or Kamala Harris quotes.

‍