A Practical Companion to the Constitution: How the Supreme Court Has Ruled on Issues from Abortion to Zoning, Updated and Expanded Edition of The Evolving Constitution [Paperback]

Jethro K. Lieberman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0520212800 | ISBN-13: 978-0520212800 | Edition: 1

This is the most comprehensive and readable one-volume reference book in print, accessible to lay readers and specialists alike, on the meaning of the American Constitution as the Supreme Court has interpreted it. It is an indispensable tool for students and lay persons who want to understand today's constitutional controversies and their background in our history. It is equally useful to lawyers and other specialists who seek quick reviews of constitutional issues with immediate reference to cases for further research.
Unlike conventional treatises that discuss the Constitution clause by clause or under a few broad concepts, this book uniquely treats every aspect of the Constitution and every constitutional topic in alphabetical order, in more than 1,000 short essays. It is extensively cross-referenced and exhaustively indexed, so that even a reader with only a minimal notion of the Constitution or constitutional law can quickly find clear answers to questions about pressing issues of the day.
Among the other unique features: a set of introductory essays on the background of the Constitution and the many difficulties of interpreting it; a concordance to each word and phrase in the Constitution; a year-by-year chronology of justices who have served on the Supreme Court; and a table of the more than 2,650 Supreme Court cases from 1792 to the present referred to in the book, listing the vote, the author of the majority opinion, the concurring and dissenting justices, and the length of the opinions.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This excellent reference work details the manner in which the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution for almost 200 years. A professor of law at New York Law School, Lieberman has written other books on the Constitution. His present work is well organized, digesting about 2,370 Supreme Court cases into roughly 1200 concise, pertinent, and easily understood essays on constitutional issues. Arranged alphabetically by topic, each essay highlights both the constitutional background and the history of the issue, as well the latest legal developments. The book effectively illustrates the manner in which changing economic and social conditions can frequently alter the way the Supreme Court interprets an issue. For example, evolving attitudes of the Court are evidenced by the change from the separate-but-equal doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) to the separate-is-inherently-unequal doctrine of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Also, changing political winds can sometimes result in the reversal of decisions once perceived to be definitive--witness the ongoing weakening of the seminal 1973 abortion decision, Roe v. Wade . Highly recommended for public libraries and the general reference collections of academic libraries.
- Philip Y. Blue, Dowling Coll. Lib., Oakdale, N.Y
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

"A remarkably illuminating guide to the way the Constitution and the Court actually work. . . . Reading this book is like being inside the Constitution."--Nat Hentoff, Columnist, Village Voice

"Thoughtful, accurate, and informative."--Albert J. Rosenthal, Columbia Law School

"A tour de force: a compact but comprehensive compendium of constitutional law that is both accessible to the lay person and helpful to the specialist. . . . It fills a unique niche in the voluminous constitutional law literature."--Nadine Strossen, President, American Civil Liberties Union

"The more time you spend leafing through this volume, the more you find yourself pausing to read, ponder and admire the entries. It is no small task to write concisely and well about complex and controversial subjects. Lieberman has the rare ability to pull off such a task with great panache."--Daniel J. Kornstein, New York Law Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 792 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (March 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520212800
• ISBN-13: 978-0520212800
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,409,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Reference for Lawyers and Non-Lawyers, April 29, 2000

By 

suzy murray - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Practical Companion to the Constitution: How the Supreme Court Has Ruled on Issues from Abortion to Zoning, Updated and Expanded Edition of The Evolving Constitution (Paperback)

The bulk of A Practical Companion to the Constitution is in dictionary form and provides throrough but concise accessible explanations of the key concepts and terms of art of constitutional analysis. Each entry is also cross-referenced with other related concepts and definitions to aid the reader in fully understanding the concepts discussed. Professor Lieberman also places each entry into a historical context so that the reader may trace the development of doctrines and concepts and understand not only where a doctrine originated but where the state of the law or doctrine stands today. For example, under the entry for "Incorporation Doctrine," Professor Lieberman provides us with a brief explanation of the concept, and then traces the concept through its history and application. At the end of the entry, we find a list of which amendments have been incorporated onto the states, the rights implicated in the incorporation, and the year the amendment was incorporated. Indeed, I was most impressed with how Professor Lieberman has throughout the book explained the abstract concepts of Fourteenth Amendment analysis into easily understandable terms without oversimplifying or doing violence to the concepts. Other sections of the book provide summaries of the cannons of constitutional interpretation so that the reader has a basic understanding of the tools of textual interpretation. Finally, Professor Lieberman provides a thorough table of cases and brief biographical sketches of the justices who have served on the Supreme Court. I give this reference book my highest recommendation. It is a must for law students. It is an excellent resource for lawyers looking for the vocabulary to explain in accessible terms the abstractions of constitutional analysis. It is invaluable for the non-lawyer seeking to understand better the constitution.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable book by a great teacher, September 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Practical Companion to the Constitution: How the Supreme Court Has Ruled on Issues from Abortion to Zoning, Updated and Expanded Edition of The Evolving Constitution (Paperback)

Professor Lieberman teaches Constitutional Law at New York Law School. I was privileged to study under him in 1998. He is an immensely knowledgeable man with an unmatched talent for clarity of communication. I am pleased to be able to recommend this book to all readers. For further insight regarding our highest court, I also recommend New York Law School's Dean Harry H. Wellington's very fine book, Interpreting the Constitution: The Supreme Court and the Process of Adjudication.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Evolving Constitution by Lieberman, December 28, 2005

By 

Joseph S. Maresca "Dr. Joseph S. Maresca CPA,... (Bronxville, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolving Constitution: How Supreme Court has Ruled on Issues from Abortion to Zoning (Hardcover)

The work describes constitutional issues considered by the

United States Supreme Court over the past 200 years. Judicial

power has been exercised in the following types of situations:

- disputes between citizens of different states

- appellate jurisdiction of law and fact

- the 14th amendment requiring that no state should enforce

laws abridging the rights of citizens nor deny equal

protection under the laws

- the Supreme Court may balance or weigh state powers as against

individual rights

- strict scrutiny utilizes a rational basis or relationship test

- important criteria include whether or not an important

government objective is served or the issue at bar is

substantially encompassed by the governmental objective

- there is a right to sue when injured by a private person

in the common law

- there is an implied constitutional right of action

- federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of age,

medical condition and physical handicap according to the

American Disabilities Act of 1990.

This work will appeal to a very wide constituency of legal

scholars, American History enthusiasts and others in academia.