Summary
Title: The Supreme Court
Author: William H. Rehnquist
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 0375409432
Pro:
• Behind the scenes details of how the Court works
• Explanations of lives of key justices
• Vital cases explained
Con:
• Biases are clear, but not annoying
Description:
• History of Supreme Court told through biographies of key people
• Important decisions discussed and explained
• Explanation of how Court operates behind the scenes
Book Review
There are many reference works and historical writings which deal with the Supreme Court, but none of them are truly exhaustive. Because of this, there is always room for another perspective, allowing a person to broaden their understanding and their horizons. One work which is worth reading is that of the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist.
He originally wrote his history of the Supreme Court back in 1987, but he has since revised and republished it in 2001. According to Rehenquist, his goal is 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."
Rehnquist begins his book in a manner which he carries through most of the rest of the text: as a work of biography rather than simply history. He introduces the Court by telling of his own life as a law clerk for Justice Jackson back in 1952, explaining how he came to work there, what duties he had, and how he saw the Court operate. This same pattern is followed through much of this text as he tells the story of the Court mostly through the stories of the people have made it what it is today - important justices and important litigants.
In this manner Rehnquist is able to avoid the pitfalls of dry historical prose and the legalistic minutia of various cases. He tells stories about how the Court has been defined by the people involved with it - and, thereby, how the Court itself has helped define the United States. He covers the work and perspectives of justices like Marshall and Warren and the parties involved in cases like Marbury v. Madison and Dred Scott v. Sandford.
Some of the most interesting and informative parts of the book are, however, those which address not so much the history of the Court but its current operations. As a former clerk, former Associate Justice and current Chief Justice, Rehnquist is able to provide us with a fascinating look inside the workings of the Court. We learn how the Court picks the cases it will hear, how those cases are heard in oral arguments, how the justices discuss and debate cases, and even the relationship between the presidential power of appointing justice and the way those same justices act on the bench.
