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The Supreme Court
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 347.73
EAN: 9780375708619
Edition: Rev Upd
ISBN: 0375708618
Label: Vintage
Manufacturer: Vintage
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: February 05, 2002
Publisher: Vintage
Release Date: February 05, 2002
Studio: Vintage
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Editorial Review:
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist sets a simple goal for himself: "This book is designed to convey to the interested, informed layman, as well as lawyers who do not specialize in constitutional law, a better understanding of the role of the Supreme Court in American government." He succeeds fabulously. The Supreme Court, an updated version of a book originally published in 1987, is a succinct and readable account of the Court's past and present. Rehnquist avoids getting bogged down in the minutia of particular cases, even as he deftly covers the details of several extremely important ones, such as Marbury v. Madison and Dred Scott v. Sandford.
The most interesting parts of the book explain how the current Court goes about its business. In these fascinating chapters, Rehnquist consistently includes nifty touches, such as how his law clerks decide who gets to work on which cases and the strict seating protocol that is followed when the nine justices--and nobody else--sit in conference to discuss their votes. If there's a knock on the door, it's the most junior justice who must answer. They don't really discuss cases at all during these meetings, but rather state their views. "I do not believe that conference discussion changes many votes," writes the Chief Justice. Oral arguments, on the other hand, are different: "In a significant minority of the cases in which I have heard oral argument, I have left the bench feeling differently about a case than I did when I came to the bench."
Rehnquist briefly lays out his own theory of jurisprudence in a short concluding chapter: "Go beyond the language of the Constitution, and the meaning that may be fairly ascribed to the language, and into the consciences of individual judges, is to embark on a journey that is treacherous indeed." Yet The Supreme Court largely skips comment on existing controversies, such as abortion rights, race-based policies, or the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. The book is exactly what Rehnquist promises: An accessible and enlightening introduction to a vital institution. --John J. Miller
This new edition of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist’s classic book offers a lively and accessible history of the Supreme Court. His engaging writing illuminates both the high and low points in the Court's history, from Chief Justice Marshall’s dominance of the Court during the early nineteenth century through the landmark decisions of the Warren Court. Citing cases such as the Dred Scott decision and Roosevelt's Court-packing plan, Rehnquist makes clear that the Court does not operate in a vacuum, that the justices are unavoidably influenced by their surroundings, and that their decisions have real and lasting impacts on our society. The public often hears little about the Supreme Court until decisions are handed down. Here, Rehnquist reveals its inner workings--the process by which cases are chosen, the nature of the conferences where decisions are made, and the type of debates that take place. With grace and wit, this incisive history gives a dynamic and informative account of the most powerful court in the nation and how it has shaped the direction America has taken.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Excellent Historical Review!
Chief Justice Rehnquist is a great historian who focuses his history of the Supreme Court on the cases it has decided.
He takes the reader down the path of US history by telling the story fo the Court.
He ends the book with a brief few chapters on how the Court operates today, which is extremely insightful.
I was taking Con Law I at the time I read this book and it helped put the cases I was reading in a historical perspective.
Very good, a must read for the historian/Constitutional ... Read More
Rating: - Excellent introduction to the Supreme Court
I was pleasantly surprised by this introduction to the Supreme Court. It is written in accessible prose that covers the history of the Court and Rehnquist's own experiences as a law clerk for Justice Robert Jackson and as a judge on the Court. His own experiences illuminate the duties of the law clerk and the justices and how cases come to, and are decided by, the Supreme Court. The process of petitioning for a writ of certiorari to oral arguments and finally to conferences are brought to life by Rehnquist's ... Read More
Rating: - "The Supreme Court" is Supreme
This is a great book for those who want to learn about the workings and history of the U.S. Supreme Court. Former Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote brilliantly and in a way where any layperson could understand and gain further knowledge about the highest court in our land. For anyone who wants to learn more about the Supreme Court and understand its importance to our country, this book is a must.
Rating:  - Solid Introduction the Supreme Court
Having served on the Supreme Court for over 33 years, William Rehnquist has an excellent vantage point to provide his readers with a very solid introduction to the nation's highest court. The first half of this book is a very readable and informative overview of the history of the court including Marbury v. Madison, the Dred Scott case, FDR's failed court packing plan, and the Steel Seizure case. Out of the many larger-than-life figures in this choronology, John Marshall stands pre-eminently as the most influential ... Read More
Rating: - Fascinating personal experience but spotty history
The highlight of this book for me were those chapters that dealt directly with the author's personal experience. At the age of twenty-seven he drove a heaterless Studebaker from his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in midwinter to start his first job in the legal profession, clerking for Supreme Court Associate Justice Jackson. He describes his initial experiences as a clerk and his impressions of the justices who served at that time, especially Frankfurter and Douglas. One case that made a particularly strong impression ... Read More
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