The papers of William J. Brennan (1906-1997), span the years 1945-1998, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1956-1990. The collection represents his public service as associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from his appointment in 1956 to his retirement in 1990. Part I contains most of Brennan's Case File and a small Miscellany series. Part II is organized in the following series: Case File, Case Histories, Correspondence File, Members of the Court, Law Clerks, Administrative File, Speeches, Writings, and Events, and Miscellany.

The Case File in part I is arranged chronologically by the Court's annual October terms, 1956-1989. Material is arranged in an administrative file and opinion file within each term. The Case File in part II is similarly arranged in an administrative file
and opinion file. Read more detailed information about the various series and their arrangement in the Scope and Content Note in the finding aid.