Summary
Title: The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States
Author: edited by Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely, Joel B. Grossman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195176618
Pro:
• Extensive and comprehensive coverage of the Supreme Court
• Easy to use, basic resource for a wide variety of people
• Good cross-referencing
Con:
• None
Description:
• History of the people, cases, and development of the Supreme Court
• More than 1,000 entries by nearly 300 contributors, arranged alphabetically
• Revised, updated, and expanded 2nd edition
Book Review
There are hundreds of books out there about the Supreme Court of the United States — it is one of the least well understood of our political institutions, so the presence of so much discussion and debate about it makes sense. Much of what goes on with the court occurs behind closed doors and even the detailed, written decisions tend to be framed in legalistic, scholarly language. It’s unlikely that the average person will get a firm grasp of the nature and history of the Supreme Court without a bit of background reading.
The wide variety of books out there are aimed at people with various interests and education levels, but The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States is a book that is appropriate for everyone. It is a basic reference work with over 1,000 articles arranged alphabetically, so it’s not the sort of thing that you can just sit down and read from beginning to end. Even the longer pieces aren’t too long, though, so a person can flip through to read articles of particular interest.
The primary use of this will probably be for background research — when there is something about the Supreme Court in the news, it’s a great resource to learn more about individual people, issues, and cases that have been involved with the Court. This isn’t just a legalistic analysis of the law, though: the authors have worked hard to place the Court and its decisions within the context of American history, politics, and economic development. It also gives plenty of room to the individual personalities which have shaped the court in recognition that the Court has been driven at least as much by people and their passions as by abstract legal principles.
I purchased the first edition not long after it came out and have used it extensively for years. I have dozens of books on the Supreme Court and constitutional law, but the Oxford Companion has always been my first resource for getting a grasp of any particular issue. The second edition has been greatly expanded with new articles alongside revised articles. It’s more than 200 pages longer, in addition to being a bit taller and wider.
I don’t suppose that someone with only a casual interest in the Supreme Court or constitutional law will care about this book, but despite its substance it’s not too expensive, so you don’t have to be a specialist to think about purchasing it. I expect that it will appear in all libraries, but you may benefit from having it close at hand for quick reference when the Court comes up in the news.
