Now, in The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions, readers have a rich source of information about one of the central institutions of American life. It offers biographies of every justice who ever sat on the Supreme Court (with pictures of each) as well as entries on rejected nominees and prominent judges, on presidents who had an important impact on -- or conflict with -- the Court (including Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln), and on other influential figures (from Alexander Hamilton to Cass Gilbert). More than four hundred entries examine every major case that the court has decided, from Scott v. Sandford (the Dred Scott Case) to Roe v. Wade. In addition, the book provides extended essays on the major issues that have confronted the Court, from slavery to the Vietnam War, entries on judicial matters and legal terms, articles on all Amendments to the Constitution, and an extensive, four-part history of the Court.

A comprehensive, authoritative guide, this volume is an essential reference for anyone interested in the workings of this vital institution and in the multitude of issues it has confronted over the course of its history.