"Dissents speak to a future age. It's not simply to say, 'My colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way.' But the greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views bec…"

"I think that the court should be a place where reason prevails."

"Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."

"If you're going to change things, you have to be with the people who hold the levers."

"Sometimes I’m writing a dissent, and I’m thinking, ‘This is not going to persuade anybody. But maybe it will persuade a future court.’ My dissents are often not aimed at my colleagues, but at the futu…"