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A comprehensive, three-volume set that provides detailed background essays, short topical entries, and primary document excerpts to explain the organization, history, and functioning of the U.S. justice system.

Table of Contents

List of Documents, Documents, Glossary of Common Legal Terms, General Bibliography, Editor and Contributors, Index, List of Documents1. Magna Carta, 1215, 2. The Libel Case of John Peter Zenger, 1735, 3. Articles of Confederation, 1777, 4. An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, March 1, 1780, 5. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1786, 6. Article III of the Constitution of the United States of America, 1787, 7. Judiciary Act, 1789, 8. Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798, 9. Judiciary Act, 1801, 10. Judiciary Act, 1802, 11. Marbury v. Madison, 1803, 12. Establishment of the Seventh Circuit, 1807, 13. Establishment of the Eighth and Ninth Circuits, 1837, 14. Declaration of Sentiments, 1848, 15. New York Married Woman's Property Act, 1848, 16. Compromise of 1850, 17. Fugitive Slave Act, 1850, 18. Establishment of the Circuit Court for California, 1855, 19. Homestead Act, 1862, 20. Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, 21. Establishment of the Tenth Circuit, 1863, 22. Black Codes of Mississippi, 1865, 23. Civil Rights Act, 1866, 24. Reorganization of the Judicial Circuits, 1866, 25. The Judiciary Act of 1869 (Circuit Judges Act), 26. Minor v. Happersett, 1872, 27. Civil Rights Act [Excerpt], 1875, 28. The Jurisdiction and Removal Act of 1875, 29. Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882, 30. Dawes Act, 1887, 31. Interstate Commerce Act, 1887, 32. Sherman Antitrust Act, 1890, 33. Establishment of the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals (Evarts Act, 1891), 34. Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896, 35. Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, 1903, 36. Lochner v. New York, 1905, 37. Muller v. Oregon, 1908, 38. The Judicial Code of 1911 [Excerpt], 39. Establishment of the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges, 1922, 40. The Judges' Bill, 1925, 41. Establishment of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, 1929, 42. Fireside Chat on Reorganization of the Judiciary, 1937, 43. Senate Judiciary Committee, Adverse Report on Roosevelt's Proposed Reorganization of the Federal Judiciary, 1937, 44. Establishment of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, 1939, 45. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Executive Order 8802, 1941, 46. Executive Order 9066, 1942, 47. Hirabayashi v. United States, 1943, 48. Korematsu v. United States, 1944, 49. Harry Truman: Executive Order 9981, 1948, 50. Brown v. Board of Education, 1954, 51. Brown v. Board of Education, 1955, 52. Executive Order 10730, 1957, 53. Equal Pay Act, 1963, 54. Civil Rights Act, 1964, 55. Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965, 56. Voting Rights Act, 1965, 57. Establishment of the the Federal Judicial Center, 1967, 58. Federal Magistrates Act, 1968, 59. Roe v. Wade, 1973, 60. "The Notion of a Living Constitution" by William H. Rehnquist, 1976, 61. Establishment of the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts [Excerpt], 1978, 62. Establishment of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, 1980, 63. Establishment of the Federal Circuit, 1982, 64. Defense of Marriage Act, 1996, 65. Romer v. Evans, 1996, 66. Bush v. Gore, 2000, 67. Federal Courts Improvement Act, 2000, 68. An Act Relating to Civil Unions, 2000, 69. USA PATRIOT Act, 2001,

About the Author

Steven Harmon Wilson is associate dean of liberal arts at Tulsa Community College, Metro Campus, Tulsa, OK.

Reviews

It is thorough in that it covers both federal and state issues and the editor has made every attempt to deliver the material in a way that is nonpartisan and balanced. This will be a useful resource for undergraduate libraries as well as larger public libraries.
*ARBA*

This set provides a solid overview of the subject and contributors do an excellent job explaining legal jargon throughout. The combination of essays, encyclopedic entries, primary source documents, and a good index and glossary makes the resource navigable and useful for students and reference librarians. Recommended for public and high school libraries.
*Booklist*

Each entry is signed by the contributor and includes a 'Further Reading' section. Volume 3 contains important primary documents showing the history and function of law enforcement, including the US Supreme Court and other federal courts, along with state and local considerations. . . . Summing Up: Recommended
*Choice*