Noted for his long service, concise and pithy opinions, and deference to the decisions of elected legislatures, he is one of the most widely cited United States Supreme Court justices in history, particularly for his "clear and present danger" opinion for a unanimous Court in the 1919 case of Schenck v. United States, and is one of the most influential American common law judges, honored during his lifetime in Great Britain as well as the United States.
Dikenal atas pelayanan panjangnya, opini dan pembelaannya terhadap keputusan dari legislatur-legislatur terpilih, ia adalah salah satu hakim Pengadilan Tinggi Amerika Serikat yang paling banyak dikenal dalam sejarah, terutama atas opini "bahaya terkini dan bersih"nya atas sebuah Pengadilan dalam kasus tahun 1919 dari Schenck v. United States, dan merupakan salah satu hakim hukum umum Amerika paling berpengaruh, dihargai pada masa hidupnya di Britania Raya serta Amerika Serikat.