The Brethren

The Brethren was an best-selling expose of the U.S. Supreme Court during its first seven years (terms) under Chief Justice Warren Burger (1969-1975).

Written by liberal investigative reporter Bob Woodward (along with Scott Armstrong), the book claimed to be based on interviews with over 170 former law clerks, all of whom were expected by the Court to keep confidential the specific internal discussions and remarks at the Court.

The title is a play on how the all-male Justices used to refer to each other, prior to the confirmation of the first female Justice in the 1980s.

The book casts Republican-appointed Chief Justice Warren Burger in an unfavorable light. But other Justices did not fare well either, and the apparent betrayal of confidences by clerks created a stir within the legal community.