Courtwatchers Eyewitness Accounts in Supreme Court History

by Cushman, Clare; Roberts, Chief Justice John

• ISBN13: 9781442212459
• ISBN10: 1442212454
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-10-15
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

In the first Supreme Court history told primarily through eyewitness accounts from Court insiders, Clare Cushman provides readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the people, practices, and traditions that have shaped an American institution for more than 200 years. Each chapter covers one general thematic topic and weaves a narrative from memoirs, letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts by the Justices, their spouses and children, court reporters, clerks, oral advocates, court staff, journalists, and other eyewitnesses. These accounts allow readers to feel as if they are squeezed into the packed courtroom in 1844 as silver-tongued orator Daniel Webster addresses the court; standing next to an exasperated Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. in 1930 as he snaps at a clerk'¬"s critique of one of his opinions; or sharing a taxi with future Chief Justice John G. Roberts in 2005 as he rushes home from the airport in anticipation of a phone call from President Bush offering him the nomination to the Supreme Court. This entertaining and enlightening tour of the Supreme Court'¬"s colorful personalities and inner workings will be of interest to all readers of American political and legal history.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Sink or Swim: The First Decade	p. 1
John Marshall Takes Charge: Establishing Power	p. 11
Justice by Shay, Stagecoach, Steamboat, Train: Riding Circuit	p. 31
Wives, Children Husbands: Supporting Roles	p. 47
Yes, Mr. President: Appointment and Confirmation	p. 67
Learning the Ropes: A Rookie Arrives	p. 89
Inside the Courtroom: Views of the Bench	p. 105
Silver Tongues and Quill Pens: Oral Argument	p. 121
Nine Justices, One Bench: Building Consensus '	p. 143
(Not So) Good Behavior: Discord and Feuds	p. 163
A Peek Inside Chambers: Clerk Stories	p. 179
"Welcome to the Chain Gang": Managing the Workload	p. 203
Timing It Right: Stepping Down	p. 229
Acknowledgments	p. 251
Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States	p. 255
Notes	p. 263
Index	p. 301
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