What Louis Brandeis Knows

Before Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there was Louis D. Brandeis: a lawyer/activist turned Supreme Court Justice who drew on common sense and Jewish values to make a difference.

This nonfiction picture book for young readers ages 7 - 10  brings to life a man full of wit and common sense, a trailblazer to inspire Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike.

Louis Brandeis knows it’ s up to him to change the world. He has seen how some people are treated poorly because of their race or their religion or because they are poor. If I were a lawyer like Uncle Dembitz, he thinks, I could fight for those who need extra help. Guided by his uncle’ s example, his father’ s practical wisdom, and Jewish values of equality and justice, Brandeis gets to work as a lawyer, making sure everyone has a chance. Louis knows it’ s important to fight for worker’ s rights and women’ s rights. Louis knows (before most people!) that everyone has the right to privacy. And Louis knows it’ s important to support arguments with facts.

What Louis doesn’ t know is that he’ ll become the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice in 1916, and his fight for justice will only continue.