Earl Warren, the 14th Chief Justice of the United States, is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring "one-man-one vote" rules of apportionment. He made the Court a power center on a more even base with Congress and the presidency especially through four landmark decisions: Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), Reynolds v. Sims (1964) and Miranda v. Arizona (1966).

Before becoming Chief Justice, Warren was Govenor of California as well as a district attorney for Alameda County, California and Attorney Genral of California.

Warren and Lynn became friends in the 1920's while Warren was serving as the deputy district attorney for Alameda County. Over the years the two men went duck-hunting on Lynn’s property, attended ball games and other activities together, and exchanged notes and gifts. When Warren was retiring from the Supreme Court, Justice Brennan was charged with choosing a gift from all the justices and sought Lynn’s advice. Lynn suggested a special shotgun that he knew Warren admired, so the justices had one customized for him. Upon his death the gun was given to Lynn who donated it also to the Library.