In this expansion of the 2000 edition, Hall (Oxford Companion to Supreme Court) and Ely (Bill of Rights in Modern America) assemble the scholarship of 161 field specialists, who summarize the Supreme Court's 440 most significant cases. Scholar-signed, multiparagraph entries are alphabetized by case name, include argued and decided dates, and detail vote divisions. The book closes with a glossary, an appendix containing the complete Constitution, a chronology of justices since 1789, and a list of presidential appointments. An outstanding single-volume reference. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The Supreme Court, the pinnacle of the US judicial system, may appear hidden to many people even though its decisions touch upon everyday lives. This guide, a much needed second edition (1st, 1999), updates its predecessor with more than 50 new decisions on hot-button topics such as the death penalty, eminent domain, and religious displays. Arranged alphabetically by case, the guide features entries for over 450 of the Supreme Court's most important cases. Each entry includes vital data such as the justices' vote, author of the Court's opinion, information on concurring or dissenting opinions, decision year, and the United States Reports citation. In addition to a case index, the guide offers an essential topical index for users unfamiliar with case names, along with several handy reference resources, e.g., the text of the US Constitution, a glossary of common Court and constitutional law terms, detailed lists of Court nominations and confirmations, and a listing of the justices' successions. This one-volume work serves as an important introduction to Supreme Court cases and belongs in all reference collections. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. J. A. Hardenbrook Millikin University