The Supreme Court Compendium: Data, Decisions, and Developments - Hardcover

Epstein, Lee J.; Segal, Jeffrey A.; Spaeth, Harold J.; Walker, Thomas G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1608717437 ISBN 13: 9781608717439

Publisher: CQ Press, 2011

Synopsis

The Supreme Court Compendium is the only reference that presents historical and statistical information on every important aspect of the U.S. Supreme Court, including its history, development as an institution, the justices’ backgrounds, nominations, and confirmations, and the Court’s relationship with the public and other governmental and judicial bodies.

Readers will also find:
· An institutional overview of the Court’s history, including a chronology of important events dating back to 1787
· Detailed background information on all of the justices

About this title

About the Author:

Lee Epstein is Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. A recipient of 12 grants from the National Science Foundation for her work on law and legal institutions, Epstein has authored or co-authored over 100 articles and essays, as well as 15 books, including The Choices Justices Make (co-authored with Jack Knight), which won the Pritchett Award for the Best Book on Law and Courts and the Lasting Contribution Award for making a “lasting impression on the field of law and courts.” The Constitutional Law for a Changing America series (co-authored with Thomas G. Walker) received the Teaching and Mentoring Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association. Her most recent books are The Behavior of Federal Judges, with William M. Landes and Richard A. Posner, and An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research, with Andrew D. Martin.

From Booklist:

Most reference guides to the U.S. Supreme Court concentrate on narratives of the cases. First published in 1994, this updated edition focuses on statistical- and historical-data comparisons of cases, opinions, justices, and courts. Much of the data comes from the Supreme Court Database and is organized in a way that makes it accessible to researchers. There are nine chapters containing tables of information on the history of the court; individual justices; the political and legal environments, especially in the last century; public opinion; and the court’s impact on public policy. Each chapter begins with an essay explaining the purpose of the tables in that chapter, and each table is followed by explanatory notes. A fairly extensive bibliography, arranged by chapter, rounds out the book. This is not a reference to casually dip into and read, though the charts comparing the backgrounds of every Supreme Court justice (birthplace, family status, religious affiliation, ethnic background, parents’ occupation, etc.) were interesting. The work is really designed for the researcher looking for information comparing specific historical and current statistics on the court in a succinct and efficient way, and that has been accomplished. Recommended for libraries where there is interest in the Supreme Court. --Elaine Lindstrom

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1608717437
• ISBN 13: 9781608717439
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 864