ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT

Roosevelt and Frankfurter.

Felix Frankfurter joined the Supreme Court at a critical juncture in its history. Only a few years before, the conservative justices of the Court had barely survived an attempt by President Roosevelt to "pack the Court" with younger, more liberal members who Roosevelt hoped would sanction the president's New Deal policies. Roosevelt lost the battle, but he succeeded in pushing the court into a more liberal direction and gained several appointments in subsequent years. Frankfurter was one of the first new justices appointed by Roosevelt. He joined the Court when it began a shift toward approving greater civil rights for individuals and a broader, more liberal interpretation of the Constitution.

Background.

Felix Frankfurter was born in Vienna, Austria, on 15 November 1882. His father, Leopold, brought the family to New York City in 1894,...