Functioning Justice News Today

for one of their own, the late john paul stevens. the end of the courts term is just weeks away. >> the whole host of consequential decisions to ter comes to an end. >> is this the end of roe v. wade. >> of law and life. >> at the services the judges call themself as happy family. beneath the surface, there is much more to the story. >> theyre not only not getting along with each other. they dont like each other. >> it is a court at war with itself. and in the center stands chief justi...

an idyllic spring morning. no hint of what is to come that night. the nine justices of the supreme court attend a memorial service for one of their own, the late john paul stevens. the end of the courts term is just weeks away. >> a whole host of consequential decisions to come. >> a bitterly divided country awaits a momentous decision. >> is this the end of roe v. wade? >> -- of law and of life. >> reporter: at the service the judges look collegial. they call themselves a happy family...

>> back then, confirmation hearings were usually brief and tame affairs. >> you were a competent judge, capable of being a functioning justice, you would get confirmed. >> the bork confirmation changed that. >> judge bork should be immediately confirmed. >> the right thought bork would be a shoo-in. he was a distinguished scholar and an appeals court judge. >> so well respected and thought of in the legal academy, there would be no problem getting him confirmed. >> the left saw him as a far righ...

Conservatives embraced the society. >> very moneyed interest are pouring funds into the federalist society. >> then in 1987 a seismic event turned the federalist society into a conservative juggernaut. ronald reagan nominated a founding member to the supreme court, judge robert boric. >> the boric battle was such a big defining moment in america. >> starting with justice linguist. >> back then they were brief and tame affairs. >> you were a competent judge capable of being a functioning justice,...

Born out of a perception by conservatives that liberal constitutional ideas had become the mainstream within american legal thinking. >> which was true. so conservatives embraced the society. >> very moneyed interests are pouring funds into the federalist society. >> then in 1987 a seismic event turned the federalist society -- >> good morning. >> -- into a conservative juggernaut. ronald reagan nominated one of its founding members to the supreme court. judge robert bork. >> the bork battle was...