Benjamin N. (Benjamin Nathan) Cardozo

Born in New York City on May 24, 1870, Benjamin Nathan Cardozo became one of the most influential American jurists of the early 20th century. He served on the New York Court of Appeals from 1914 to 1932, including as chief judge, before joining the U.S. Supreme Court in 1932, where he remained until his death in 1938.

Cardozo was admired not only for his legal judgment but also for his writing. Britannica describes him as a creative common-law judge and legal essayist, and his work helped move American appellate judging toward a more modern, policy-aware approach. He is especially associated with clear reasoning, careful attention to fairness, and elegant prose.

He was also an important public figure in American Jewish history, coming from a distinguished Sephardic Jewish family and becoming the second Jewish justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, he is still widely read for both his landmark opinions and his essays on how judges think and how the law grows over time.