Stephen L. Carter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen L. Carter
Carter at the 2015 National Book Festival
Born	Stephen Lisle Carter (1954-10-26) October 26, 1954 (age 70) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater	Stanford University (BA) Yale University (JD)
Occupation	Law professor author
Known for	Novels and social commentary
Parent(s)	Lisle Carter Jr Emily Elizabeth Howze
Relatives	Eunice Hunton Carter (grandmother) W. Alphaeus Hunton, Jr., great uncle

Stephen Lisle Carter (born October 26, 1954) is an American law professor and a well-known author. He teaches at Yale Law School and writes books about legal topics and society. He is famous for both his non-fiction books and his exciting mystery novels.

Stephen L. Carter: Author and Professor

Early Life and School Days

Stephen Carter was born in Washington, D.C. on October 26, 1954. He was the second of five children. His family believed strongly in helping others through public service. His mother worked for important leaders like Julian Bond. His father was a lawyer who became a leader at Cornell University.

Stephen's family had a history of making a difference. His grandmother, Eunice Hunton Carter, was the first black woman to be a district attorney in New York. A district attorney is a lawyer who works for the government to bring criminals to justice. His great-grandmother, Addie Waites Hunton, was also an important activist.

Stephen went to Ithaca High School and finished in 1972. While there, he was the main editor of the school newspaper, The Tattler. He worked hard to make sure students had a say in school decisions.

Becoming a Lawyer

After high school, Stephen went to Stanford University. He earned a degree in history in 1976. At Stanford, he was also a managing editor for the student newspaper, The Stanford Daily.

He then went to Yale Law School and earned his law degree in 1979. While at Yale, he won an award for being the best speaker in a mock court competition. He also helped edit the Yale Law Journal.

A Career in Law and Teaching

After law school, Stephen Carter worked for important judges. He was a law clerk for Judge Spottswood W. Robinson III. Then, he worked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall from 1980 to 1981. A law clerk helps a judge with their research and writing.

Since 1982, Stephen Carter has been a professor at Yale Law School. He teaches many different subjects. These include contracts, evidence, and the rules of being a professional lawyer. He also teaches about ethics in literature and the laws of war.

He has received eight special degrees from different colleges. These include Bates College and the University of Notre Dame. In 1994, he gave the graduation speech at Stanford University.

Writing Amazing Books

Stephen Carter is well-known for his many books. His non-fiction books, which are about real facts and ideas, have been praised by many people.

His first novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park, was a huge success in 2002. It stayed on The New York Times best-seller list for 11 weeks! This book also won several awards, including the 2003 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.

Non-Fiction Books

Stephen Carter has written many non-fiction books about law, religion, and society.

• Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby (1991)
• The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion . This book won an award in religion in 1994.
• The Confirmation Mess: Cleaning Up the Federal Appointments Process (1994)
• Integrity (1997). This book talks about honesty in public life.
• The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion, and Loyalty (1998)
• Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy (1999)
• God's Name in Vain: The Wrongs and Rights of Religion in Politics (2001)
• The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama (2011)
• Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster (2018)

Exciting Novels

Stephen Carter is also famous for his mystery and thriller novels.

• The Emperor of Ocean Park (2002). This is a mystery about a law professor trying to find the truth after his father's death.
• New England White (2007). This thriller is about a woman who thinks her husband is hiding a murder from 30 years ago.
• Palace Council (2008). This story is set in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It involves a long conspiracy to gain power.
• Jericho's Fall (2009). This book is about a powerful former government official who wants to reveal secrets.
• The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln (2012). This legal drama imagines what would happen if Abraham Lincoln had survived and faced impeachment.
• The Church Builder (2013). This book was published under the name A. L. Shields.
• Back Channel (2014). This thriller takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It follows a 19-year-old college student who becomes involved in secret negotiations.

Stephen Carter often writes articles for major newspapers. He has also written columns for Christianity Today magazine. He is currently a columnist for Bloomberg.com.

About His Family Life

Stephen Carter grew up in Harlem, Washington, D.C., and Ithaca, New York. He is married to Enola G. Aird, and they have two children. They live in Connecticut and spend their summers in Martha's Vineyard. They attend St. Luke's Episcopal Church, which is one of the oldest mostly black Episcopal churches in the country.

See also

• Black conservatism in the United States
• List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 10)