U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to Chat 'THE COURT AND THE WORLD' at The Music Hall

By: Aug. 26, 2016
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On Thursday, September 29, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will take the stage with his bestselling book THE COURT AND THE WORLD: American Law and the New Global Realities, just released in paperback. In this original, far-reaching, and timely book, Justice Breyer examines the work of the Supreme Court and its role in an increasingly interconnected world. Written with unique authority and perspective, he reveals an emergent reality few Americans observe directly but one that affects the life of every one of us.

The 7pm event includes a brief author presentation followed by an onstage interview with Virginia Prescott, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth." It will be held at The Music Hall's Historic Theater at 28 Chestnut Street in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

THE COURT AND THE WORLD is an inside look at the American court system and one of its most pressing matters: national security. In it, Justice Breyer asks: What is the geographical reach of an American statute concerning, say, securities and fraud, antitrust violations, or copyright protections? And in deciding such matters, can the Court interpret American laws so that they might work more efficiently with similar laws in other nations?

"Justice Breyer's bestseller and his event at The Music Hall will shed new light on this country and our approach to law, particularly in the international arena," said Patricia Lynch Executive Director of The Music Hall and Executive Producer of Writers on a New England Stage. "This a must-see, must-do event for anyone interested in American and world politics, offering new understanding to lawyers and non-lawyers alike," she added. "Justice Breyer's writings encourage us to stay informed and, here in Portsmouth, we're doing just that!"

ABOUT THE BOOK

We now live in a world of instant communications, lightning-fast commerce, and shared problems (like public health threats and environmental degradation), and it is also one in which the lives of Americans are routinely linked ever more pervasively to those of people in foreign lands. Indeed, at a moment when anyone may engage in direct transactions internationally for services previously bought and sold only locally (lodging, for instance, through online sites), it has become clear that, even in ordinary matters, judicial awareness can no longer stop at water's edge.

Focusing first with national security, Breyer shows that as the world has grown steadily "smaller," the Court's horizons have inevitably expanded: it has been obliged to consider a great many more matters that now cross borders. While Americans must necessarily determine their own laws through democratic process, increasingly, the smooth operation of American law - and by extension, the advancement of American interests and values - depends on its working harmony with that of other jurisdictions. Justice Breyer describes how the aim of cultivating such harmony, as well as the expansion of the rule of law overall, with its attendant benefits, has drawn American jurists into the relatively new role of "constitutional diplomats," a little remarked but increasingly important job for them in this fast-changing world.

STEPHEN BREYER is an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He is a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C.

Tickets for Writers on a New England Stage: Stephen Breyer on Thursday, September 29, at 7:00pm are $13.75 ($11.75 for members) For each 1-2 tickets sold, the purchase of a book voucher (The Court and the World, $17 paperback) is required. Vouchers can be redeemed on the event night for signed copies of the book. Tickets must be purchased through The Music Hall Box Office, located at 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, or over the phone at 603.436.2400.

Each literary evening features an author presentation followed by an onstage interview with Virginia Prescott, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth." Live music performed by the award-winning house band Dreadnaught. Shows are rebroadcast on NH Public Radio.

The Music Hall is a performing arts center featuring curated entertainment from around the world in two theaters in its downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire campus - one, a landmark 1878 Victorian theater, designated an American Treasure for the Arts by the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures Program, the other the intimate Music Hall Loft around the corner, recently named "best performing arts venue" by Yankee Magazine and the recipient of the NH AIA award for design excellence.

For more information, visit www.TheMusicHall.org.



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