The Supreme Court
A C-SPAN Book Featuring the Justices in Their Own Words
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- $20.99
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
The Supreme Court grew out of an historic opportunity to interview all of the living Supreme Court justices for a C-SPAN feature documentary about the Court, the only time that the nine sitting members and their retired colleagues have granted interviews to a single television network. Eleven of those interviews—the entire current court, including the newest member, Justice Elena Kagan—are gathered here in this singular collection.
In their conversations with the justices, Brian Lamb and Susan Swain bring readers into a fascinating world to which few have had access. Chief Justice John Roberts talks about the role of the Court in society, his role as chief justice, and the process of deciding cases. Justice Stephen Breyer takes us on a private tour of his chambers and describes the differences between the Court and the Congress. And new Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan reflect on their first impressions of the job. Through these encounters, the justices’ personalities, intellects, and devotion to the Court emerge.
Enriching this material are Mark Farkas’s interviews with journalists, court historians, and other experts on the Court. Reporters Joan Biskupic and Lyle Denniston discuss the Supreme Court in action and the impact of a new member of the Court. Clerk of the Supreme Court William Suter illuminates the traditions of the Court. Historian James O’Hara discusses the Supreme Court building and its history. Former Solicitor General Drew Days III and attorney Maureen Mahoney describe the experience of facing the justices in fast-paced oral arguments.
The Supreme Court offers readers a rare window into the nation’s highest court through the eyes of those who serve there. It is absorbing reading for anyone interested in this vital and powerful institution.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The companion book to the 2009 C-SPAN documentary records the only time that all the living Supreme Court justices, the nine sitting members and their two retired colleagues, have granted interviews to a single television network. Transcripts from those interviews provide insight into the daily operations and history of the nation's highest court; facts about the building it occupies, trivia (William Howard Taft was the only individual to serve as President and Supreme Court Justice), and numerous personal recollections are also included, as are interviews with experts on the Court's history and daily operation. An appendix presents short biographies of the justices, a list of everyone who has ever served on the Court, and a section noting petitions and arguments heard each year, from 1980 to 2008 (peaking in 2006 with over 10,000 heard and 73 argued). Readers will gain insight into the Court and the justices, including the different approaches they take in writing their opinions, in a volume that will particularly engage history buffs and anyone with an interest in governmental procedure.
