Summary

"The government of the United States has been emphatically termed a government of laws, and not of men." So wrote Chief Justice John Marshall in Marbury v. Madison in 1803, the first case in which the Supreme Court ruled a law unconstitutional and asserted its right and power to interpret the U.S. Constitution. Since then, the Supreme Court has been a coequal branch of government with Congress and the presidency.

Arranged in chronological order, the four-volume Justices of the United States Supreme Court, Fourth Edition examines the biographical facts of each Supreme Court justice’s life, including his or her background in the law, the paths that led each one to the Supreme Court, and each justice’s major decisions. All entries and their corresponding bibliographies are completely up to date.

Edited by the distinguished legal scholar Leon Friedman and historian Fred L. Israel, Justices of the United States Supreme Court, Fourth Edition features contributions by some of the most prominent legal historians in the country. This reference is more reader-friendly than previous editions, containing a new introduction; an updated appendix with revised statistics and charts; a table showing every congressional law the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional; a chronology of the greatest moments in Supreme Court history; additional photographs and illustrations; and fact boxes for each justice. This definitive biographical reference on the Supreme Court will be a welcome addition to high school, college, and library collections.

Profiles include:

• Exact birth and death dates
• Place of birth/home state
• Career
• Education
• Military service
• First and last day on court
• Tally and date of Senate vote
• Justice replaced
• Exact length of service
• Reason for leaving court
• Political party
• Religion
• Family (spouse/children)
• Parents
• Cause of death.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Index. Appendix. Bibliography. Cross-references. Chronology. Tables. Fact boxes. In four volumes.

About the Author(s)

Editor Leon Friedman is professor of law at Hofstra University Law School. He is the author of numerous books and articles on legal subjects and is the editor of United States vs. Nixon: The President Before the Supreme Court.

Fred L. Israel is Professor Emeritus of American History at the City University of New York. He holds the Scribe's Award from the American Bar Association and is the co-author of Winning the White House: The Gallup Poll, Public Opinion, and the Presidency.