WVXU: The complicated history of the Supreme Court’s first anti-slavery justice

Paul Finkelman, visiting professor at the UC College of Law, discusses the complicated legal tenure of John McLean, the first Ohioan to serve on the United States Supreme Court. McLean was an opponent of slavery on the court before the Civil War but he enforced the Fugitive Slave Laws of 1793 and 1850.

Finkelman, Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus, Albany Law, will present a lecture  “John McLean: Southern Ohio’s Homegrown Anti-Slavery Justice,” on Friday, Jan. 17, at the UC College of Law, Room 160. 

He will explore the complexities of Justice McLean and his dissenting opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford. The topic was the subject of a segment on WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition with journalist Lucy May.  Finkelman explains how McLean tried to balance his opposition to slavery with his obligations to the Constitution.

Listen to the full segment on WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition online.

Featured top image of UC Law Visiting Professor Paul Finkelman with Cincinnati Edition's Lucy May.  Photo provided.