Editor’s Note: We are republishing this story looking back at Justice Stephen Breyer’s career as he officially retires Friday. This story has been updated with Breyer’s most recent writings from the current term.

Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement Thursday marked the departure of a justice firmly committed to democracy and preserving the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court. It also marked the arrival of his successor and former clerk, Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is the first Black female justice.