WINNER! Next Generation Indie Book Award for Women’s Nonfiction 2022
Shortlisted is now a 13-part lesson plan with videos, background, and assessments thanks to C-SPAN Classroom. Learn more here.
With the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court, now more than ever we need to understand the history of those who paved the way for the nation’s first Black female justice.
“This fascinating book reconstructs a chapter of women’s history that has been hiding in plain sight: the numerous qualified women whose names were floated for the Supreme Court but who never got there. Just as they were overlooked, so have their individual stories been — until now. ”
“The book provides a behind-the-scenes empirical examination of the gendered portrayals of women shortlisted to the Supreme Court, casting a spotlight on media biases and stereotypes.”
“Written with lawyerly precision and clarity of thought, Shortlisted offers a comprehensive yet succinct look at the history of women in the Supreme Court with implications for women and minorities everywhere. … Straddling many disciplines, this book is well-researched, well-organized and well-argued. I rule in its favor.”
“Utilizing meticulous empirical research, Shortlisted masterfully tells the story of the women who were considered for nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Through the stories of these women Shortlisted teaches us about the evolution of gender subordination, including what it looks like today and what we can do to combat it. It is a must read for all who are interested in anti-subordination and gender equality.”
“Piecing together their personal papers and archives, as well as relevant news coverage, [the authors] introduce readers to the ambitious women who built influential legal careers and advanced a female presence in the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court...The authors compellingly argue that representation of diverse women in leadership positions is in everybody’s best interest. An excellent contribution...and essential for anyone who values diversity.”
“Shortlisted tells the political and personal sagas of women publicly considered for appointment to the Supreme Court but never actually nominated by a president... With fresh research, the authors effectively humanize the women who never received the nominations they deserved.”
“timely and provocative ... fascinating examination of the ‘herstories’ of the ‘shortlisted sisters’ ... well written, logically organized, and thoroughly researched exploration”
“Stunningly original in its focus and its careful research, Shortlisted is beautifully written and an important addition to the literature about the Supreme Court, the process of nominating justices, and the role of gender in American law.”
“This is a major contribution to the story of women lawyers.”
“A perfect read not only for scholars of the United States Supreme Court or judicial decision making, but for anyone hoping to learn from our history about how to brighten our future through systemic change that truly accounts for the diversity that the American populous represents. This book makes a sound argument on the dangers of tokenism and the failure to account for the hazards of underrepresentation, and it does so by using a beautiful and unique methodology to get us there. While many scholarly works leave us yearning for more, SHORTLISTED follows through on its promise to provide practical advice for mechanisms of change and hope for the future.”
“Shortlisted is remarkable not only for what it tells us about the women who made the presidential shortlists of potential Supreme Court nominees but for what it tells us about how our nation then and now continues to struggle with understanding equality. May the stories of these extraordinary women and the demonstrated leadership of the women who have made it to the pinnacle of the legal profession through service on our highest court drive us each to realize the great potential of our country that still awaits us.”
“Legal scholarship that creates new avenues of inquiry is inherently appealing, but when it also reveals obscured narratives of power in American society, you have the makings of a truly important contribution. Shortlisted … is all that and an engaging read besides. … While the bulk of the women shortlisted for the high court are white, [the authors] are aware of pitfalls of colorblind feminism, and they highlight the intersectionality barriers that women of color face in gaining status commensurate to their experience and talents. … [T]he book has ignited a brain buzz that is still simmering.”
“Shortlisted is fresh, timely, and written in a way readers will love. It’s a great book.”
The inspiring and previously untold history of the women considered―but not selected―for the US Supreme Court
In 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first female justice on the United States Supreme Court after centuries of male appointments, a watershed moment in the long struggle for gender equality. Yet few know about the remarkable women considered in the decades before her triumph.
Shortlisted tells the overlooked stories of nine extraordinary women—a cohort large enough to seat the entire Supreme Court—who appeared on presidential lists dating back to the 1930s. Florence Allen, the first female judge on the highest court in Ohio, was named repeatedly in those early years. Eight more followed, including Amalya Kearse, a federal appellate judge who was the first African American woman viewed as a potential Supreme Court nominee. Award-winning scholars Renee Knake Jefferson and Hannah Brenner Johnson cleverly weave together long-forgotten materials from presidential libraries and private archives to reveal the professional and personal lives of these accomplished women.
In addition to filling a notable historical gap, the book exposes the harms of shortlisting―it reveals how adding qualified female candidates to a list but passing over them ultimately creates the appearance of diversity while preserving the status quo. This phenomenon often occurs with any pursuit of professional advancement, whether the judge in the courtroom, the CEO in the corner office, or the coach on the playing field. Women, and especially female minorities, while as qualified as others on the shortlist (if not more so), find themselves far less likely to be chosen. With the stories of these nine exemplary women as a framework, Shortlisted offers all women a valuable set of strategies for upending the injustices that still endure. It is a must-read for those seeking positions of power as well as for the powerful who select them in the legal profession and beyond.