Law and Jurisprudence in American History : Cases and Materials (American Casebook Series) [Hardcover]

Jamil S. Zainaldin (Author), Stephen B. Presser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000 | Series: American Casebook Series

Originally published in 1980, this text was the first casebook in the field of American legal history. It encouraged the formation of the modern discipline of American legal history, sought to create a canon for the field, and is now regarded as a classic compilation. There are two main alterations or additions to this edition. The first is a reworking of the slavery materials in Chapter Four, substituting the testimony of the slaves themselves. The second major change in the book is the addition of materials regarding the impeachment and trial of President Clinton.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1139 pages
• Publisher: West Group; 4th edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0314211349
• ISBN-13: 978-0314211347
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,156,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant overview of American Legal History, April 17, 2000

By 

Jesse Gleeson (Gold Coast Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Law and Jurisprudence in American History: Cases and Materials (American Casebook Series) (Hardcover)

I was fortunate to take Professor Presser's American Legal History class while I was on exchange at Northwestern University and this was our textbook.

As an Australian studying law in the US I was very interested in finding out about how the American Legal System developed. I felt the only way I could understand the present would be to look to the past and Presser's book was perfect for this purpose.

This book struck me as being exceptionally well put together; with insightful commentary on the selected readings and questions to enhance your understanding of the issues.

Perhaps the most refreshing characteristic of this book is its balance - it puts both sides of the controversial issues it considers so that we can make up our own mind.

It has given me a much deeper understanding of the American Legal System and American Society in general.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great teacher, a great book, August 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Law and Jurisprudence in American History : Cases and Materials (American Casebook Series) (Hardcover)

Like the reviewer below, I was one of Presser's student at Northwestern University. This book was the most important, most influential book I purchased at NU. It begins with the confrontation between Sir Edward Coke and James I about whether the common law controlled the King's prerogative. Presser exploits the drama inherent in this piece of history to set up one of the main themes in the text: if one is going to have any conception of human rights at all, the restraint of arbitrary power is fundamental; the rule of law is vital.

This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the English common law, the U.S. Constitution, or the rights of a people to throw off a government (or a politician) guilty of an abuse of power. I was a better citizen for having read it.

In the classroom, Presser's love of the law, of legal history and reasoned debate was awe-inspiring. His book re-establishes an important cultural meme that appears to have gone underground in the 21st century:

the idea that liberty can not exist unless there is law, and law can not exist without morality.

3.0 out of 5 stars Textbook Purchase, October 26, 2010

By 

John the Computer Guru (Evanston, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Law and Jurisprudence in American History: Cases and Materials (American Casebook Series) (Hardcover)

The book arrived promptly. The outside was in very good condition. There was much more highlighting and annotations than I had expected. All pages were present and in good condition, except for the highlighting.