Courtwatchers

Clare Cushman, director of publications for the Supreme Court Historical Society, is the editor of and a contributing writer to The Supreme Court Justices: Illustrated Biographies and Supreme Court Decisions and Women’s Rights: Milestones to Equality.

• Foreword by Chief Justice John C. Roberts, Jr.IntroductionChapter 1: Sink or Swim: The First DecadeChapter 2: John Marshall Takes Charge: Establishing PowerChapter 3: Justice by Shay, Stagecoach, Steamboat, Train: Riding CircuitChapter 4: Wives, Children...Husbands: Supporting RolesChapter 5: Yes, Mr. President: Appointing and ConfirmationChapter 6: Learning the Ropes: A Rookie ArrivesChapter 7: Inside the Courtroom: Views of the BenchChapter 8: Silver Tongues and Quill Pens: Oral ArgumentChapter 9: Nine Justices, One Bench: Building ConsensusChapter 10: (Not So) Good Behavior: Discord and FeudsChapter 11: A Peek Inside Chambers: Clerk StoriesChapter 12: "Welcome to the Chain Gang": Managing the Work LoadChapter 13: Timing It Right: Stepping DownAcknowledgmentsJustices of the Supreme CourtNotesIndex

Too many studies of the Supreme Court are obsessed with ideas and politics with little attention to those who generate them. Clare Cushman provides a meticulously researched and thoroughly accessible antidote to the trend, and, for once the institution emerges with novelistic clarity as a collection of men, and eventually women, with vivid personalities, strong feelings, and every manifestation of the human condition. Cushman wisely relies on first-hand evidence from those on the inside to provide both authenticity and telling detail. A unique work. -- Hutchinson, Dennis J. Opening this book is like peering into a fascinating scrapbook compiled over the centuries by Supreme Court Justices and those who knew them. It is a treat for anyone who cares about the Supreme Court and who wonders how it got to be the way it is today. I enjoyed it very much. -- Linda Greenhouse