Hot Topic: The Supreme Court

The framers of the U.S. Constitution made the job of Supreme Court justice an appointed position with no term limit in order to protect it from the pressures of popular opinion. Unlike legislators or presidents, Supreme Court justices do not run for office in popular elections, and need never be concerned about being removed from office due to unpopular views.

Because of the high stakes involved, the nomination by the president and confirmation by the senate of a justice to the Supreme Court is often a highly contentious political process.

Below you will find a brief list of print materials, recent magazine and newspaper articles, as well as links to informative websites on the topic of the Supreme Court.

The majesty of the law: reflections of a Supreme Court justice, by Sandra Day O'Connor; edited by Craig Joyce. New York: Random House, ©2003.

347.7326/O'Connor

AC (audio) 347.7326/O’Connor

Men in black: how the supreme court is destroying America, by Mark Levin. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Pub., ©2005.

347.7314 Levin

Pursuit of justices: presidential politics and the selection of Supreme Court nominees, David Alistair Yalof. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, ©1999.

347.7314/Yalof

The Rehnquist court: judicial activism on the right,
edited by Herman Schwartz. New York: Hill and Wang, ©2002.

347.7326 Rehnquist

Seeking justices: the judging of Supreme Court nominees,
by Michael Comiskey. Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, ©2004.

347.73 Comiskey

Supreme Court for dummies,
by Lisa Paddock. New York, N.Y.: Wiley Pub., ©2002.

347.7326 Paddock

New York Times Complete Coverage: Court in Transition:
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/politics/politicsspecial1/index.html

THE NATION; Alito Tries to Defuse Doubts; Bush's nominee says he's not bound by ideology, but Democrats promise sharp questions for the man who could tip the high court's balance.; [HOME EDITION] Maura Reynolds and David G. Savage. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Jan 10, 2006. p. A.1 (ProQuest)

Despite Advocacy, Alito Is Not on Public's Radar Screen; [FINAL Edition] Dan Balz. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Jan 10, 2006. p. A.06 (ProQuest)

Know Your Supreme Court. Gabriella Gershenson. Scholastic Scope. Jan 9, 2006, Vol. 54 Issue 9, p18-18, 1p (MasterFILE Premier)

Bush Says, Bring It On; the Critics Will. Karen Tumulty; Mike Allen; Perry Bacon Jr. Time. Jan 9, 2006, Vol. 167 Issue 2, p28-29, 2p, 2c; (MasterFILE Premier)

Reagan-era work contains clues on Alito's views ; His advice offered tactics on abortion, affirmative action; [FINAL Edition] Joan Biskupic. USA TODAY. McLean, Va.: Jan 6, 2006. p. A.4 (ProQuest)

THE FOLD: SUPREME COURT NOMINEE, Meet Samuel Alito; [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition] Sources: Associated Press, Scripps Howard News Service, Source: The Associated Press, 3RD U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Newsday (Combined editions). Long Island, N.Y.: Nov 1, 2005. p. A.32 (ProQuest)

The United States Supreme Court
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

The Supreme Court Historical Society
http://www.supremecourthistory.org/

Oyez: U.S. Supreme Court Multimedia
http://www.oyez.org/oyez/frontpage

Landmark Supreme Court Cases
http://www.landmarkcases.org/

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
http://judiciary.senate.gov/

New York Times Complete Coverage: Court in Transition
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/politics/politicsspecial1/index.html

Library of Congress, Law Library Reading Room, Supreme Court Nominations - Samuel A. Alito
http://www.loc.gov/rr/law/alito.html