The Supreme Court Compendium, 7th ed. by Lee J. Epstein; Jeffrey A. Segal; Thomas G. WalkerThe Supreme Court Compendium provides historical and statistical information on the Supreme Court: its institutional development; caseload; decision trends; the background, nomination, and voting behavior of its justices; its relationship with public, governmental, and other judicial bodies; and its impact. With over 180 tables and figures, this new edition is intended to capture the full retrospective picture through the 2013-2014 term of the Roberts Court and the momentous decisions handed down within the last four years, including United States v. Windsor, National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, and Shelby County v. Holder.
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ISBN: 9781071834565
Publication Date: 2021
The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions (2009)More than 450 entries recounting the most important cases ever argued before the Court, from Marbury v. Madison and Scott v. Sandford (the Dred Scott decision) to Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade.
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The American Judicial System: a Very Short Introduction by Charles L. ZeldenAt some point, everyone living in the United States has some type of interaction with the American judicial system. For most, this contact is relatively minor: contesting a traffic ticket, suing or being sued in civil court, being a witness in a civil or criminal trial, or serving on a jury.Others are caught up in the criminal justice system - as defendants, as victims, as witnesses, as jurors, or as relatives of a victim or a defendant. For still others, contact comes via an important policy issue affecting their lives in the hands of judges and justices sitting in judgment in marbletemples to the law. Yet whatever the level of contact, the American judicial system affects peoples' lives. What courts and judges do matters.This book provides a very short, but complete introduction to the institutions and people, the rules and processes, which makeup the American judicial system. Jargon free and aimed at a general reader, this Very Short Introduction explains the 'where,' 'when,' and 'who' of American courts. It alsomakes clear the 'how' and 'why' behind the law as it affects everyday people. It is, in a word, a starting place to understanding the third branch of American government at both the state and federal levels; a guide to those wishing to know the basics of the American judicial system; and a cogentsynthesis of how the various elements that make up the law and legal institutions fit together.
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ISBN: 0190644915
Publication Date: 2022
The U. S. Supreme Court: a Very Short Introduction, 2nd ed. by Linda GreenhouseFor 30 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse chronicled the activities of the U.S. Supreme Court and its justices as a correspondent for the New York Times. In this Very Short Introduction, she draws on her deep knowledge of the court's history and of its written and unwritten rules to show readers how the Supreme Court really works. Greenhouse offers a fascinating institutional biography of a place and its people--men and women who exercise great power but whose names and faces are unrecognized by many Americans and whose work often appears cloaked in mystery. How do cases get to the Supreme Court? How do the justices go about deciding them? What special role does the chief justice play? What do the law clerks do? How does the court relate to the other branches of government? Greenhouse answers these questions by depicting the justices as they confront deep constitutional issues or wrestle with the meaning of confusing federal statutes. Throughout, the author examines many individual Supreme Court cases to illustrate points under discussion, ranging from Marbury v. Madison, the seminal case which established judicial review, to the recent District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which struck down the District of Columbia's gun-control statute and which was, surprisingly, the first time in its history that the Court issued an authoritative interpretation of the Second Amendment. To add perspective, Greenhouse also compares the Court to foreign courts, revealing interesting differences. For instance, no other country in the world has chosen to bestow life tenure on its judges. The second edition of Greenhouse's Very Short Introduction tracks the changes in the Court's makeup over the last eight years, considers the landmark decisions of the Obama and Trump eras, and reexamines the precarious fates of such precedents as Roe v. Wade. A superb overview packed with telling details, this volume offers a matchless introduction to one of the pillars of American government.
The Journal of the Supreme Court of the United States contains the official minutes of the Court. It is published chronologically for each day the Court issues orders or opinions or holds oral argument.
Oyez (pronounced OH-yay) offers transcript-synchronized and searchable audio, plain-English case summaries, illustrated decision information, and full-text Supreme Court opinions (through Justia). Oyez also provides detailed information on every justice throughout the Court’s history.
Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Electronic Library
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Contains the Supreme Court Yearbook and the Supreme Court Collection.
Official blog of the US Supreme Court. Covers/summarizes SCOTUS activity and cases.
HeinOnline
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Look for the US Supreme Court Library, which contains Congressional Research Service reports and other periodicals about the Supreme Court, which can help with your analysis and understanding of a case.
HeinOnline: United States Reports
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The opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States are published officially in a set of case books called the United States Reports. In HeinOnline, look for "Official Reports" under the US Supreme Court Library. Generally it's easier to search by a citation rather than trying to search United States Reports by keyword.
Note that you can use the main search bar to search for a case by topic, or you can use the advanced search to search for a specific case name that you already know.
Nexis Uni
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Use the Advanced Search and then the Legal tab to search briefs, pleadings, and motions, cases, law reviews and journals, and legal news.
Orin Kerr is a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School. His short guide will help you understand how to read judicial opinions (and dissents) more effectively. (Although some of this guide pertains to preparing for the case method used in US law schools, Kerr's discussion of the structure of judicial opinions may be relevant for undergraduate students.)