Historic U.S. Court Cases: An Encyclopedia / Edition 1

by John W. Johnson

Overview

This collection of essays looks at over 200 major court cases, at both state and federal levels, from the colonial period to the present. Organized thematically, the articles range from 1,000 to 5,000 words and include recent topics such as the Microsoft antitrust case, the O.J. Simpson trials, and the Clinton impeachment. This new edition includes 43 new essays as well as updates throughout, with end-of-essay bibliographies and indexes by case and subject/name.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415930192
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/07/2001
Series:	American Law and Society Series
Edition description:	Subsequent
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

John W. Johnson is professor and head of the history department at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. He is the author of The Dimensions of Non-Legal Evidence in the American Judicial Process and Insuring Against Disaster: The Nuclear Industry on Trial and has served as series editor for Garland publications on American law and society.

Table of Contents

Witchcraft and the Law; Two Nations: the Case of Sacco and Vanzetti; Showdown Over Gun Control; From the 'Political Thicket' to 'One Man, One Vote'; The Travails of William Jefferson Clinton; When a Contract Obtained by Fraud is Still a Contract; Products Liability Law and McDonald's Coffee; Slavery, Freedom and Federal Judicial Power; Separate Education is Not Equal Education; Native American Land Claims - The Indians Finally Win; The Japanese Internment Cases; Cold War, Communism and Free Speech; Flag Burning and the Constution; The Scopes Trial: A Collision of Cultures; Physician-Assisted Suicide: Who Shall Decide?; The Boston Massacre Trials; Icons of the Cold War: The Hiss-Chambers Case; The O.J. Simpson Trials as Popular Drama

Editorial Reviews

'This reference will be useful for students and non-specialists looking for substantial background to help them understand the implications of important legal cases. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.' - Library Journal

'Students and researchers in political science and history, as well as law, will find the encyclopedia useful, and it is recommended for public, academic and law school libraries.' - Booklist, February 2002.

From the Publisher

Johnson (history, Univ. of Northern Iowa), who has written several books on the history of U.S. law, including The Struggle for Student Rights, here uses a scholarly analysis of both state and national cases to show how the legal system affects our lives. Approximately a fifth of the 201 essays are new to this revised second edition, which follows the first by a decade. The essays, which vary in length depending upon the significance of their subjects, focus on five main categories: crime and criminal law; governmental organization, power, and procedure; economics and economic regulation; civil liberties; and race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. These pieces usually examine 20th-century political and legal change as a byproduct of social and economic matters. Providing clear analysis and a good selection of issues related to U.S. law, especially in the last decade, this reference will be useful for students and nonspecialists looking for substantial background to help them understand the implications of important legal cases. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries. Steven Puro, St. Louis Univ. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

The two-volume set is arranged by theme: criminal law; governmental power; economic regulation; race, gender, sexuality and disability; and civil liberties. Each case features an information box providing the case's vital statistics (date, location, court, principal participants, and significance), a 1,000-5,000 word essay (201 in all) penned by one of 85 scholars (lawyers, legal historians, social scientists, humanities professors, etc.) identified by name and affiliation. Thematic sections are preceded by concise introductions, and the essays<-->43 new to this edition<-->concentrate "on the narrative, dramatic dimension of legal disputes within their larger social and historical contexts." Some essays have been cut and many revised for this edition. New cases include Bill Clinton's, and the disability case regarding golfer Casey Martin who, because of a disease affecting his right leg, wanted to use a prohibited golf cart in the PGA Tour. There is a subject and name index, and a case index. The set is suitable for high school and above. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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