They Often Are Half Obscure: The Rights of the Individual and the Legacy of Oliver W. Holmes

These remarks were delivered April 9, 1992 at the Nathaniel L. Nathanson Memorial Lecture series at the University of San Diego. In this lecture, Ms. O'Connor discusses Oliver Wendell Holmes' legacy as a Supreme Court Justice from 1902 to 1932. She explains how Holmes was an "originator of transforming thought," making reference to his jurisprudence of individual liberties and his contribution to constitutional law by applying the Bill of Rights to the states. She also makes note of his less popular and less well-known jurisprudence that has slipped into obscurity.

In this way, Holmes' influence is only half perceived by most. She celebrates Holmes' influence on current legal thought by paying tribute to the breadth of his theories and jurisprudence.