

历史
Inspired by Justice William J. 小布伦南.'s devotion to core democratic freedoms, the 布伦南中心 for Justice works to strengthen democracy, 结束大规模监禁, and protect liberty and security.

The Brennan Center for Justice at 纽约大学法学院 was founded in 1995 by former law clerks to Justice William J. Bren-nan小. (1906–97) as a living memorial to his ideals: a commitment to a fair and inclusive democracy, support for the disadvantaged, and respect for individual rights and liberties. Above all, Brennan saw the value of “human dignity” as the core of the law.
Born to Irish immigrants, Brennan grew up as witness to the economic hardships and indignities of those in his hometown. “What got me interested in people’s rights and liberties, ” Brennan would later recall, “was the kind of neighborhood I was brought up in. I saw all kinds of suffering — people had to struggle.”
Brennan is regarded as one of the country’s most influential justices — the “playmaker” of the Warren Court, with its breakthroughs in civil rights and civil liberties. Appointed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisen-hower, he authored far-reaching opinions that strengthened democracy, protected free expression, and bolstered the rights of the accused. Among the most important were 贝克v. 卡尔 (1962), which helped establish the principle of “one person, one vote, ” and 纽约时报公司. v. Sulli-van (1964), which expanded press freedoms.
Bren-nan认为, “We current Justices read the Constitution in the only way that we can: as twentieth century Americans. We look to the history of the time of framing and to the intervening history of interpretation. But the ultimate question must be: What do the words of the text mean in our time? For the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in a world that is dead and gone, but in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs.”
"For the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in a world that is dead and gone, but in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs.——大法官威廉。J. Bren-nan小.
In the quarter century since its launch, the center has grown from a small startup to one of the nation’s leading legal and policy institutions. It has a staff of 130 attorneys, 学者, journ-al-ists, 和其他人, and an annual budget of $27 million, with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. In 2006, it embarked on an expanded strategy to augment its litigation strength with a focus on research, 公共政策, and communications — vital strategies to win legal and policy change.
Today it has honed a distinct model, combining the elements of a think tank, 法律倡导团体, and a communications hub. The policy reforms it developed have helped form a new agenda for reform in states and nationally.