Shortlisted: Women in the Shadows of the Supreme Court by Renee Knake Jefferson and Hannah Brenner Johnson

Read this book if you want to get a real sense of how gender historically has affected our American judicial and political systems.

This book tells the stories of nine brilliant women who were qualified but overlooked and never received nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court. What was shocking is that all the women discussed actually made it to the president’s short list of potential justices, but were ultimately denied the support and not made nominees solely because of their gender.

The authors leave you with the feeling that putting women on a short list for the Supreme Court, but then electing not to make them the nominee, gives the appearance of diversity. In reality, however, the professional advancement almost singularly goes to men. This provides a deeper understanding of the lengths people will go to offer the perception of equality instead of truly seeking gender equality.