Reynolds Holding
@renholding.bsky.social
Research Scholar and Editor-at-Large, Columbia Law School. Former Reuters Breakingviews, ABC News, Time, Legal Affairs, SF Chronicle. Newsletter, Better Judgment: Dispatches on the law and justice, renholding.substack.com.
A federal judge quit to speak his mind about Trump and the state of the nation, leaving behind a remarkable career of doing justice. Shouldn't we want people like that to stay on the bench? My latest:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Lone Wolf
Will a newly retired judge become Trump’s top critic or just a voice in the wilderness?
open.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A federal judge quit to speak his mind about Trump and the state of the nation, leaving behind a remarkable career of doing justice. Shouldn't we want people like that to stay on the bench? My latest:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
In 2023, Joe Biden was just trying to wipe away student loans. Now, for this president and this Supreme Court, it’s the rule of law itself that seems the target. Major questions, elastic principles, and my new piece:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Supreme Hypocrisy
Conservative justices’ shift from restraint comes at the worst possible time
open.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:17 PM
In 2023, Joe Biden was just trying to wipe away student loans. Now, for this president and this Supreme Court, it’s the rule of law itself that seems the target. Major questions, elastic principles, and my new piece:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
My take on the prosecutors bounced last week for mentioning Jan. 6: Airbrushing the facts makes judges' hardest job -- sentencing -- even harder.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Riot Act
Lies about January 6 portend trouble for fair sentences
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 2:01 PM
My take on the prosecutors bounced last week for mentioning Jan. 6: Airbrushing the facts makes judges' hardest job -- sentencing -- even harder.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
I had a great discussion on Slate's Amicus podcast about Better Judgment, my new book about federal judges standing up for the rule of law right now. Please take a look and have a listen:
slate.com/podcasts/ami...
slate.com/podcasts/ami...
These Three Judges Might Just Restore Your Faith in the Courts
Reynolds Holding’s new book details how a trio of judges are trying to protect democracy.
slate.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:43 PM
I had a great discussion on Slate's Amicus podcast about Better Judgment, my new book about federal judges standing up for the rule of law right now. Please take a look and have a listen:
slate.com/podcasts/ami...
slate.com/podcasts/ami...
Great review of my book, Better Judgment, about “three dynamic federal judges who embody [Holding’s] case for a strong, intact judicial branch that keeps oligarchies at bay while protecting the constitutional rights of individuals,” says Harvard Magazine bit.ly/47zShBK
Must-Read Harvard Books Winter 2025 | Harvard Magazine
From aphorisms to art heists to democracy’s necessary conditions
bit.ly
October 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Great review of my book, Better Judgment, about “three dynamic federal judges who embody [Holding’s] case for a strong, intact judicial branch that keeps oligarchies at bay while protecting the constitutional rights of individuals,” says Harvard Magazine bit.ly/47zShBK
Trump is conning us about the need for troops in cities like Portland, but his fantisies are no match for the factual record courts are building, say I:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Fact Check
The courts are building an unprecedented record of presidential misdeeds
open.substack.com
October 12, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Trump is conning us about the need for troops in cities like Portland, but his fantisies are no match for the factual record courts are building, say I:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Federal judges are flawed heroes for sure and, in some cases, deeply so. But by and large, Republican and Democrat, they are giving us hope, and they are doing it with dignity rather than rancor. My new post:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Courts at Their Best – and Worst
Judges can give us hope despite the deeply flawed among them
open.substack.com
October 5, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Federal judges are flawed heroes for sure and, in some cases, deeply so. But by and large, Republican and Democrat, they are giving us hope, and they are doing it with dignity rather than rancor. My new post:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
This is a terrific book. I was slow in getting to it, but the wait was well worth it. Read it.
I'm pleased to announce that my new book, "The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy," is now available for pre-order. It will be published in February 2025. It's feeling kind of topical, I think.
www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Pa...
www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Pa...
The Pardon
From New York Times bestselling author and CNN legal commentator Jeffrey Toobin comes a timely exploration of the most controversial presidential p...
www.simonandschuster.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
This is a terrific book. I was slow in getting to it, but the wait was well worth it. Read it.
In the James Comey prosecution, the next move is up to the judge, and he should do what another federal judge did seven years ago: call out the lying. Here’s my latest newsletter — with an excerpt from my new book, Better Judgment a.co/d/1doNEfU:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Pure Gaslighting
What the judge hearing the case against James Comey should say
open.substack.com
September 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
In the James Comey prosecution, the next move is up to the judge, and he should do what another federal judge did seven years ago: call out the lying. Here’s my latest newsletter — with an excerpt from my new book, Better Judgment a.co/d/1doNEfU:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Here’s my piece on why the absence of “respectfully” in Supreme Court dissents, and the sudden resistance of grand juries to indicting “ham sandwiches,” matter:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
And don't miss my new book, here: a.co/d/2Tuhko9. Please leave a review!
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
And don't miss my new book, here: a.co/d/2Tuhko9. Please leave a review!
No Time for Respect
Supreme Court justices and grand juries are telling us enough is enough
open.substack.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Here’s my piece on why the absence of “respectfully” in Supreme Court dissents, and the sudden resistance of grand juries to indicting “ham sandwiches,” matter:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
And don't miss my new book, here: a.co/d/2Tuhko9. Please leave a review!
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
And don't miss my new book, here: a.co/d/2Tuhko9. Please leave a review!
To read what it's like for federal judges -- on the record -- to defend democracy and the rule of law every day against these abuses, please see my new book, Better Judgment, available here: a.co/d/1LLzvki
NEW: In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court's handling of Trump cases.
“It is inexcusable,” a judge said of the Supreme Court justices. “They don’t have our backs.”
“It is inexcusable,” a judge said of the Supreme Court justices. “They don’t have our backs.”
In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court's handling of Trump cases
Ten judges tell NBC News the Supreme Court needs to explain its rulings better, with some urging Chief Justice John Roberts to do more to defend the judiciary against external criticism.
www.nbcnews.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:09 PM
To read what it's like for federal judges -- on the record -- to defend democracy and the rule of law every day against these abuses, please see my new book, Better Judgment, available here: a.co/d/1LLzvki
To read what it's like for federal judges -- on the record -- to defend democracy and the rule of law every day against these abuses, please see my book, Better Judgment, available here: a.co/d/1LLzvki
September 4, 2025 at 2:03 PM
To read what it's like for federal judges -- on the record -- to defend democracy and the rule of law every day against these abuses, please see my book, Better Judgment, available here: a.co/d/1LLzvki
Here’s another excerpt from my new book, Better Judgment, available at a.co/d/1LLzvki. This passage describes Judge Jed Rakoff attempting to hold Citigroup accountable for its role in the financial crisis.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Neither Admit Nor Deny
A judge takes to task a bank at the heart of the financial crisis
open.substack.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Here’s another excerpt from my new book, Better Judgment, available at a.co/d/1LLzvki. This passage describes Judge Jed Rakoff attempting to hold Citigroup accountable for its role in the financial crisis.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
My book is out, so happy pub day to me. The best argument for why we should not give up on the courts is revealed in the stories of the three remarkable judges I portray in the book.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Read This Book
How three judges are bringing justice back to the courts
open.substack.com
September 2, 2025 at 4:01 PM
My book is out, so happy pub day to me. The best argument for why we should not give up on the courts is revealed in the stories of the three remarkable judges I portray in the book.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
The swaggering terror that the Trump administration inflicts on immigrants every day feels deeply creepy in a way that abuses of the George Floyd era did not.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Make the Bullies Pay
The U.S. Supreme Court has made it way too hard for victims to win damages from the government agents who abuse them.
open.substack.com
August 23, 2025 at 7:19 PM
The swaggering terror that the Trump administration inflicts on immigrants every day feels deeply creepy in a way that abuses of the George Floyd era did not.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
America needs a smart and authoritative person whose job is to explain what the courts do. Let's call him the Chief Justice of the United States.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Speak Up, John Roberts
The chief justice needs to set us straight on the role of the courts
open.substack.com
August 6, 2025 at 1:17 PM
America needs a smart and authoritative person whose job is to explain what the courts do. Let's call him the Chief Justice of the United States.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Sky falling or not, federal judges are struggling with a new and unnerving reality. The latest from me:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Bench Pressed
Judges are feeling the weight of ugly threats and emergency deadlines
open.substack.com
July 19, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Sky falling or not, federal judges are struggling with a new and unnerving reality. The latest from me:
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
There is something perverse about punishing the victim for the raw transgressions of a public servant, a United States president no less, but that may be what our world now requires.
Putting a Price on Surrender open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Putting a Price on Surrender open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Putting a Price on Surrender
Giving in to a lawless president has become far too easy
open.substack.com
July 9, 2025 at 11:13 AM
There is something perverse about punishing the victim for the raw transgressions of a public servant, a United States president no less, but that may be what our world now requires.
Putting a Price on Surrender open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Putting a Price on Surrender open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
When it comes to this Supreme Court, at this moment, under this president, the justices need to wake up and seriously consider how their words and decisions are playing in public.
Tin-Eared Justice open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Tin-Eared Justice open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Tin-Eared Justice
How the Supreme Court sounds to people matters
open.substack.com
July 5, 2025 at 2:14 PM
When it comes to this Supreme Court, at this moment, under this president, the justices need to wake up and seriously consider how their words and decisions are playing in public.
Tin-Eared Justice open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Tin-Eared Justice open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
On gender transition and other divisive issues of culture and politics, It’s not just what the Supreme Court says that’s important but also how the justices say it. Here’s may latest piece, and thanks for reading.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Killing Us Softly With Its Words
Maybe a little understatement from the Supreme Court is OK
open.substack.com
June 23, 2025 at 11:35 AM
On gender transition and other divisive issues of culture and politics, It’s not just what the Supreme Court says that’s important but also how the justices say it. Here’s may latest piece, and thanks for reading.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
The Lander arrest and similar moves are only the half of it --ICE is hell bent on snatching all sorts of people out of New York's courts: renholding.substack.com/p/iced-out-o...
ICE'd Out of Court
A DOJ lawsuit aims to put immigrants seeking justice in peril
renholding.substack.com
June 19, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The Lander arrest and similar moves are only the half of it --ICE is hell bent on snatching all sorts of people out of New York's courts: renholding.substack.com/p/iced-out-o...
Trump’s war on immigrants threatens to stop people from seeking justice and the courts from performing the most basic elements of their job. Read about the latest lawsuit from Trumpland.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
ICE'd Out of Court
A DOJ lawsuit aims to put immigrants seeking justice in peril
open.substack.com
June 16, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Trump’s war on immigrants threatens to stop people from seeking justice and the courts from performing the most basic elements of their job. Read about the latest lawsuit from Trumpland.
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
open.substack.com/pub/renholdi...
Oh look, an actual book. It's pretty good, timely at least, and you can pre-order it here: www.ucpress.edu/books/better...
June 9, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Oh look, an actual book. It's pretty good, timely at least, and you can pre-order it here: www.ucpress.edu/books/better...
Reposted by Reynolds Holding
Newsom: "Arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy. I don't give a damn ... Tom, arrest me. Let's go."
June 9, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Newsom: "Arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy. I don't give a damn ... Tom, arrest me. Let's go."
Reposted by Reynolds Holding
Terry Moran told the truth and ABC News appallingly suspended him. So-called journalistic “neutrality” serves a fascist regime. This is why we need independent media.
June 9, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Terry Moran told the truth and ABC News appallingly suspended him. So-called journalistic “neutrality” serves a fascist regime. This is why we need independent media.