Stephen Breyer, Justice for the Global Age

ByAlbert R. Hunt, Bloomberg View

Stephen Breyer, a progressive force on the Supreme Court for more than two decades, advocates U.S. courts taking into account foreign law. That’s the stuff of a good debate, befitting a justice who got to the bench courtesy of former President Ronald Reagan and the archconservative Senator Strom Thurmond.

His ascent was mostly due to the exceptional political skill and standing of a mentor, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who got resurgent Republicans to approve the liberal judge when they could have instead tapped one of their own for the seat.

We’ll revisit that ...