Great American Judges : An Encyclopedia by John R. Vile (Set of 2 Vols.)

Description

Inspiring and instructive biographies of the 100 most influential judges from state and federal courts in one easy-to-access volume.

Great American Judges profiles 100 outstanding judges and justices in a full sweep of U.S. history. Chosen by lawyers, historians, and political scientists, these men and women laid the foundation of U.S. law. A complement to Great American Lawyers, together these two volumes create a complete picture of our nation’s top legal minds from colonial times to today.

Following an introduction on the role of judges in American history are A–Z biographical entries portraying this diverse group from extraordinarily different backgrounds. Students and history enthusiasts will appreciate the accomplishments of these role models and the connections between their inspiring lives and their far-reaching legal decisions. William Rehnquist, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., and 12 other Supreme Court justices are found alongside federal judges like Skelly Wright, who ordered school desegregation in 1960. Influential state judges such as Rose Elizabeth Bird, California’s first woman Supreme Court Chief Justice, are also featured.

• 100 main A–Z entries and 50 shorter entries on lesser-known, but influential figures
• Contributions from historians, lawyers, political scientists, and other top scholars from across the nation
• A photograph or other depiction of each featured judge
• Detailed charts of birth dates, education, and years of service of key figures
• A foreword by historian Kermit L. Hall