William Brennan was born in Newark New Jersey on April 25, 1906. Brenan attended public schools, Brennan went to the Wharton School to receive a BA in Economics and then to Harvard Law School. After law school he went into private practice. During World War II he served as an army lawyer. He was appointed to the bench by President Eisenhower after having served on the New Jersey State Supreme Court.associate justice of the Supreme Court from 1956-1990, William Brennan was a strong voice in support of civil rights and led the liberal wing of the court after 1970.
An ardent believer in consensus, Brennan's deft hand allowed liberal decisions to continue to be generated, even after the appointment of new conservative members of the Court.