The PI bible from and for the judges, 11 Dec 2008
This work first appeared in 1992, and at that time, Lord Donaldson wrote that there could be no doubt about the practical value of this volume. Since then, the work has become essential for practitioners and now I would not dream of advising on a personal injury matter without referring to the JSB Guidelines first.

The guidelines are always well received, and they have a clear and well received influence on the judiciary. Colin Mackay explains the current need for the work as a record of the levels of awards and settlements which we use as a starting point for our advocacy.

Updates are always difficult but I believe Mackay J and his team have produced the level of consistency needed for the making of awards which served the interests of justice as well as any person can. Lord Justice Waller, in his Foreword, welcomes the work and highlights the comments from the book's readers together with all the different areas where reports are to be found which makes the working party's job so difficult.

This is not, however, a `ready reckoner' but, as Mackay says, it distils the conventional wisdom contained in the reported cases, and supplements it from the collective experience of his working party, presenting the result in a convenient, logical and coherent form.

The work is now widely adopted as the starting point in negotiating levels of payment for general damages in personal injury cases. Contents cover the following: Injuries Involving Paralysis; Head Injuries; Psychiatric Damage; Injuries Affecting the Senses; Injuries to Internal Organs; Orthopaedic Injuries; Facial Injuries; Scarring to Other Parts of the Body; Damage to Hair; Dermatitis and a useful index.

The publishers send copies of these guidelines to all hearing PI cases, and it is an indispensible tool for all legal professionals involved in PI litigation, from lawyers to insurance companies, trades unions and medical defence organisations.

Today, I cannot be without my copy of the JSB guidelines, and I know the clients appreciate the wisdom they give!


General Damages leads the cavalry to the rescue, 22 Mar 2001
This pioneering biography of General Damages - General Custer's deputy at the Battle of the Little Big Horn is to be welcomed. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the accounts of Damage's family background and the synopsis of his distinguished military career. Full marks for trying Mr. Author.

The PI bible from and for the judges, 11 Dec 2008
This work first appeared in 1992, and at that time, Lord Donaldson wrote that there could be no doubt about the practical value of this volume. Since then, the work has become essential for practitioners and now I would not dream of advising on a personal injury matter without referring to the JSB Guidelines first.

The guidelines are always well received, and they have a clear and well received influence on the judiciary. Colin Mackay explains the current need for the work as a record of the levels of awards and settlements which we use as a starting point for our advocacy.

Updates are always difficult but I believe Mackay J and his team have produced the level of consistency needed for the making of awards which served the interests of justice as well as any person can. Lord Justice Waller, in his Foreword, welcomes the work and highlights the comments from the book's readers together with all the different areas where reports are to be found which makes the working party's job so difficult.

This is not, however, a `ready reckoner' but, as Mackay says, it distils the conventional wisdom contained in the reported cases, and supplements it from the collective experience of his working party, presenting the result in a convenient, logical and coherent form.

The work is now widely adopted as the starting point in negotiating levels of payment for general damages in personal injury cases. Contents cover the following: Injuries Involving Paralysis; Head Injuries; Psychiatric Damage; Injuries Affecting the Senses; Injuries to Internal Organs; Orthopaedic Injuries; Facial Injuries; Scarring to Other Parts of the Body; Damage to Hair; Dermatitis and a useful index.

The publishers send copies of these guidelines to all hearing PI cases, and it is an indispensible tool for all legal professionals involved in PI litigation, from lawyers to insurance companies, trades unions and medical defence organisations.

Today, I cannot be without my copy of the JSB guidelines, and I know the clients appreciate the wisdom they give!


General Damages leads the cavalry to the rescue, 22 Mar 2001
This pioneering biography of General Damages - General Custer's deputy at the Battle of the Little Big Horn is to be welcomed. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the accounts of Damage's family background and the synopsis of his distinguished military career. Full marks for trying Mr. Author.

Fresh insight into the magistracy, 25 Feb 2003
I was fortunate enough to receive this book as a Christmas present from my son - admittedly after a strong hint that I would like to have it. I was glad that I found time to read it before I first sat on the Bench in January 2003.

By describing his own thoughts and feelings as he applied, was interviewed and appointed, undertook his training and then gained his first two years' experience on the Bench in north London, Trevor Grove performs an excellent service. His lively accounts of each stage in his development, from initial application to completing his probation, very much accorded with my own journey over the last year, so they served to reinforce what I am learning. Here is someone who has recently lived through his own novitiate - and survived.

The Magistrate's Tale is exceptionally well written, as one might expect from a professional journalist, who worked for The Spectator, Evening Standard, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph, and was Editor of The Sunday Telegraph. This is his second book. His first, The Juryman's Tale, was published by Bloomsbury in 1998, after he had been inspired by serving as a juror at the Old Bailey in a 64-day trial that involved the kidnap of a Greek shipping magnate and a $3,000,000 ransom. So impressed was he with that experience of the criminal justice system that he responded positively to the suggestion of a JP friend that he should apply to become a magistrate.

His account of observing magistrates before he completed his application included one case that grabbed his attention - that of a man found to be drunk in charge of his car, although he had been in the back seat...
As it happened, one of the "structured observations" in my training - the trial of a 'Not Guilty' case - was very similar. The only differences were that the sleeping driver was found at the wheel and the engine was running. That case was particularly interesting because the standard of proof was not "beyond reasonable doubt" but "the balance of probabilities". The burden of proof therefore shifted to the Defence, which sought to employ the statutory defence that, at the material time, there was no likelihood of the defendant driving or attempting to drive whilst in excess of the legal limit.

The Aldershot Bench took some 20 minutes to decide that, on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely than not that the defendant would have driven whilst unfit. Even so, although he had his clean driving licence endorsed with 10 penalty points, he must have been happy to get away with a £300 fine and £300 costs, rather than the disqualification that Grove claimed to be mandatory.

Grove's feelings on being sworn in also struck a chord because, like me, he was particularly impressed by the last part of the oath: "I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this Realm without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."
...The Magistrate's Tale is a fascinating mixture of history, endorsement of the magistracy in the 2001 review by Lord Justice Auld (who provides the foreword to Grove's book), visits to courts throughout the country, and revealing interviews, such as that with Sue Baring, chair of the British Institute of Human Rights, who started her 21 years as JP on the Winchester Bench in 1965.

Happily for a novice like myself, The Magistrate's Tale ends on an optimistic note. After all, no one wants to be joining a failing institution in its final throes...
I therefore recommend The Magistrate's Tale as a worthwhile addition to the bookshelves of candidate, new and even experienced JPs who want a fresh insight into the magistracy.

The PI bible from and for the judges, 11 Dec 2008
This work first appeared in 1992, and at that time, Lord Donaldson wrote that there could be no doubt about the practical value of this volume. Since then, the work has become essential for practitioners and now I would not dream of advising on a personal injury matter without referring to the JSB Guidelines first.

The guidelines are always well received, and they have a clear and well received influence on the judiciary. Colin Mackay explains the current need for the work as a record of the levels of awards and settlements which we use as a starting point for our advocacy.

Updates are always difficult but I believe Mackay J and his team have produced the level of consistency needed for the making of awards which served the interests of justice as well as any person can. Lord Justice Waller, in his Foreword, welcomes the work and highlights the comments from the book's readers together with all the different areas where reports are to be found which makes the working party's job so difficult.

This is not, however, a `ready reckoner' but, as Mackay says, it distils the conventional wisdom contained in the reported cases, and supplements it from the collective experience of his working party, presenting the result in a convenient, logical and coherent form.

The work is now widely adopted as the starting point in negotiating levels of payment for general damages in personal injury cases. Contents cover the following: Injuries Involving Paralysis; Head Injuries; Psychiatric Damage; Injuries Affecting the Senses; Injuries to Internal Organs; Orthopaedic Injuries; Facial Injuries; Scarring to Other Parts of the Body; Damage to Hair; Dermatitis and a useful index.

The publishers send copies of these guidelines to all hearing PI cases, and it is an indispensible tool for all legal professionals involved in PI litigation, from lawyers to insurance companies, trades unions and medical defence organisations.

Today, I cannot be without my copy of the JSB guidelines, and I know the clients appreciate the wisdom they give!


General Damages leads the cavalry to the rescue, 22 Mar 2001
This pioneering biography of General Damages - General Custer's deputy at the Battle of the Little Big Horn is to be welcomed. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the accounts of Damage's family background and the synopsis of his distinguished military career. Full marks for trying Mr. Author.

Fresh insight into the magistracy, 25 Feb 2003
I was fortunate enough to receive this book as a Christmas present from my son - admittedly after a strong hint that I would like to have it. I was glad that I found time to read it before I first sat on the Bench in January 2003.

By describing his own thoughts and feelings as he applied, was interviewed and appointed, undertook his training and then gained his first two years' experience on the Bench in north London, Trevor Grove performs an excellent service. His lively accounts of each stage in his development, from initial application to completing his probation, very much accorded with my own journey over the last year, so they served to reinforce what I am learning. Here is someone who has recently lived through his own novitiate - and survived.

The Magistrate's Tale is exceptionally well written, as one might expect from a professional journalist, who worked for The Spectator, Evening Standard, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph, and was Editor of The Sunday Telegraph. This is his second book. His first, The Juryman's Tale, was published by Bloomsbury in 1998, after he had been inspired by serving as a juror at the Old Bailey in a 64-day trial that involved the kidnap of a Greek shipping magnate and a $3,000,000 ransom. So impressed was he with that experience of the criminal justice system that he responded positively to the suggestion of a JP friend that he should apply to become a magistrate.

His account of observing magistrates before he completed his application included one case that grabbed his attention - that of a man found to be drunk in charge of his car, although he had been in the back seat...
As it happened, one of the "structured observations" in my training - the trial of a 'Not Guilty' case - was very similar. The only differences were that the sleeping driver was found at the wheel and the engine was running. That case was particularly interesting because the standard of proof was not "beyond reasonable doubt" but "the balance of probabilities". The burden of proof therefore shifted to the Defence, which sought to employ the statutory defence that, at the material time, there was no likelihood of the defendant driving or attempting to drive whilst in excess of the legal limit.

The Aldershot Bench took some 20 minutes to decide that, on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely than not that the defendant would have driven whilst unfit. Even so, although he had his clean driving licence endorsed with 10 penalty points, he must have been happy to get away with a £300 fine and £300 costs, rather than the disqualification that Grove claimed to be mandatory.

Grove's feelings on being sworn in also struck a chord because, like me, he was particularly impressed by the last part of the oath: "I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this Realm without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."
...The Magistrate's Tale is a fascinating mixture of history, endorsement of the magistracy in the 2001 review by Lord Justice Auld (who provides the foreword to Grove's book), visits to courts throughout the country, and revealing interviews, such as that with Sue Baring, chair of the British Institute of Human Rights, who started her 21 years as JP on the Winchester Bench in 1965.

Happily for a novice like myself, The Magistrate's Tale ends on an optimistic note. After all, no one wants to be joining a failing institution in its final throes...
I therefore recommend The Magistrate's Tale as a worthwhile addition to the bookshelves of candidate, new and even experienced JPs who want a fresh insight into the magistracy.

Recommended for anyone interested in the Supreme Court, 18 Apr 1998
Prof. Schwartz' book is the best I have read on the subject to date, and as a Judge, I have a particular interest in the Supreme Court. Schwartz' writing flows, and his knowledge is second to none. I recommend this book to anyone even casually interested in the Supreme Court. He really brings this subject to life.

A lucid and enjoyable overview, 16 Nov 1997
As a University of Tulsa College of Law Alum, I was fortunate enough to have been instructed in Constitutional Law by Professor Schwartz. His lucid, anecdotal style of teaching inspired me(yes, I did say inspire) to read A History of the Supreme Court. I found it to be the most entertaining and informative one volume treatise available on this venerable institution. I can honestly say that this book is a must for anyone, laymen or lawyer, who would like to know more about the branch of government that shapes the laws that shape our lives.

This book helped me a lot., 16 Aug 1997
This summer I took a CTY course that was on U.S. history and Constitutional law and how the two work together. We had a lot of reading in a book by Stanley Kutler. We used Schwartz to help us understand what Kutler was saying. Schwartz helped me a lot by explaining a lot of what was going on at diffrent times in the Supreme Court. This book is also filled with a lot of intresting facts like how at the beginning of the Supreme Court Cheif Justice Jay was going to wear a wig, like British Judges, and how the court got to its present attire.Schwartz is definitly a good book to have handy when researching the Supreme Court.

Solid history, 06 May 1997
Author succeeds in packing sufficient detail into a one volume work without getting into overload and, more importantly, while keeping it readable. The chapters on ROE and BROWN are worth the read in itself. Read this instead of THE BRETHREN. Also check out Gunther's bio on Judge Hand.

The PI bible from and for the judges, 11 Dec 2008
This work first appeared in 1992, and at that time, Lord Donaldson wrote that there could be no doubt about the practical value of this volume. Since then, the work has become essential for practitioners and now I would not dream of advising on a personal injury matter without referring to the JSB Guidelines first.

The guidelines are always well received, and they have a clear and well received influence on the judiciary. Colin Mackay explains the current need for the work as a record of the levels of awards and settlements which we use as a starting point for our advocacy.

Updates are always difficult but I believe Mackay J and his team have produced the level of consistency needed for the making of awards which served the interests of justice as well as any person can. Lord Justice Waller, in his Foreword, welcomes the work and highlights the comments from the book's readers together with all the different areas where reports are to be found which makes the working party's job so difficult.

This is not, however, a `ready reckoner' but, as Mackay says, it distils the conventional wisdom contained in the reported cases, and supplements it from the collective experience of his working party, presenting the result in a convenient, logical and coherent form.

The work is now widely adopted as the starting point in negotiating levels of payment for general damages in personal injury cases. Contents cover the following: Injuries Involving Paralysis; Head Injuries; Psychiatric Damage; Injuries Affecting the Senses; Injuries to Internal Organs; Orthopaedic Injuries; Facial Injuries; Scarring to Other Parts of the Body; Damage to Hair; Dermatitis and a useful index.

The publishers send copies of these guidelines to all hearing PI cases, and it is an indispensible tool for all legal professionals involved in PI litigation, from lawyers to insurance companies, trades unions and medical defence organisations.

Today, I cannot be without my copy of the JSB guidelines, and I know the clients appreciate the wisdom they give!


General Damages leads the cavalry to the rescue, 22 Mar 2001
This pioneering biography of General Damages - General Custer's deputy at the Battle of the Little Big Horn is to be welcomed. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the accounts of Damage's family background and the synopsis of his distinguished military career. Full marks for trying Mr. Author.

Fresh insight into the magistracy, 25 Feb 2003
I was fortunate enough to receive this book as a Christmas present from my son - admittedly after a strong hint that I would like to have it. I was glad that I found time to read it before I first sat on the Bench in January 2003.

By describing his own thoughts and feelings as he applied, was interviewed and appointed, undertook his training and then gained his first two years' experience on the Bench in north London, Trevor Grove performs an excellent service. His lively accounts of each stage in his development, from initial application to completing his probation, very much accorded with my own journey over the last year, so they served to reinforce what I am learning. Here is someone who has recently lived through his own novitiate - and survived.

The Magistrate's Tale is exceptionally well written, as one might expect from a professional journalist, who worked for The Spectator, Evening Standard, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph, and was Editor of The Sunday Telegraph. This is his second book. His first, The Juryman's Tale, was published by Bloomsbury in 1998, after he had been inspired by serving as a juror at the Old Bailey in a 64-day trial that involved the kidnap of a Greek shipping magnate and a $3,000,000 ransom. So impressed was he with that experience of the criminal justice system that he responded positively to the suggestion of a JP friend that he should apply to become a magistrate.

His account of observing magistrates before he completed his application included one case that grabbed his attention - that of a man found to be drunk in charge of his car, although he had been in the back seat...
As it happened, one of the "structured observations" in my training - the trial of a 'Not Guilty' case - was very similar. The only differences were that the sleeping driver was found at the wheel and the engine was running. That case was particularly interesting because the standard of proof was not "beyond reasonable doubt" but "the balance of probabilities". The burden of proof therefore shifted to the Defence, which sought to employ the statutory defence that, at the material time, there was no likelihood of the defendant driving or attempting to drive whilst in excess of the legal limit.

The Aldershot Bench took some 20 minutes to decide that, on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely than not that the defendant would have driven whilst unfit. Even so, although he had his clean driving licence endorsed with 10 penalty points, he must have been happy to get away with a £300 fine and £300 costs, rather than the disqualification that Grove claimed to be mandatory.

Grove's feelings on being sworn in also struck a chord because, like me, he was particularly impressed by the last part of the oath: "I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this Realm without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."
...The Magistrate's Tale is a fascinating mixture of history, endorsement of the magistracy in the 2001 review by Lord Justice Auld (who provides the foreword to Grove's book), visits to courts throughout the country, and revealing interviews, such as that with Sue Baring, chair of the British Institute of Human Rights, who started her 21 years as JP on the Winchester Bench in 1965.

Happily for a novice like myself, The Magistrate's Tale ends on an optimistic note. After all, no one wants to be joining a failing institution in its final throes...
I therefore recommend The Magistrate's Tale as a worthwhile addition to the bookshelves of candidate, new and even experienced JPs who want a fresh insight into the magistracy.

Recommended for anyone interested in the Supreme Court, 18 Apr 1998
Prof. Schwartz' book is the best I have read on the subject to date, and as a Judge, I have a particular interest in the Supreme Court. Schwartz' writing flows, and his knowledge is second to none. I recommend this book to anyone even casually interested in the Supreme Court. He really brings this subject to life.

A lucid and enjoyable overview, 16 Nov 1997
As a University of Tulsa College of Law Alum, I was fortunate enough to have been instructed in Constitutional Law by Professor Schwartz. His lucid, anecdotal style of teaching inspired me(yes, I did say inspire) to read A History of the Supreme Court. I found it to be the most entertaining and informative one volume treatise available on this venerable institution. I can honestly say that this book is a must for anyone, laymen or lawyer, who would like to know more about the branch of government that shapes the laws that shape our lives.

This book helped me a lot., 16 Aug 1997
This summer I took a CTY course that was on U.S. history and Constitutional law and how the two work together. We had a lot of reading in a book by Stanley Kutler. We used Schwartz to help us understand what Kutler was saying. Schwartz helped me a lot by explaining a lot of what was going on at diffrent times in the Supreme Court. This book is also filled with a lot of intresting facts like how at the beginning of the Supreme Court Cheif Justice Jay was going to wear a wig, like British Judges, and how the court got to its present attire.Schwartz is definitly a good book to have handy when researching the Supreme Court.

Solid history, 06 May 1997
Author succeeds in packing sufficient detail into a one volume work without getting into overload and, more importantly, while keeping it readable. The chapters on ROE and BROWN are worth the read in itself. Read this instead of THE BRETHREN. Also check out Gunther's bio on Judge Hand.

Civil Litigation in English we can all understand !, 08 Jan 2002
There are a probably alot of LPC students out there faced with the daunting task of exams in the near future !

This book is worth all of the 900 pages it claims to be. From start to finish it guides you through the entire civil litigation process.

Gone are the headaches as the pieces of the jigsaw slip into place.

It remains the best ...I have spent this academic year.

A book worthy of the investment.

The PI bible from and for the judges, 11 Dec 2008
This work first appeared in 1992, and at that time, Lord Donaldson wrote that there could be no doubt about the practical value of this volume. Since then, the work has become essential for practitioners and now I would not dream of advising on a personal injury matter without referring to the JSB Guidelines first.

The guidelines are always well received, and they have a clear and well received influence on the judiciary. Colin Mackay explains the current need for the work as a record of the levels of awards and settlements which we use as a starting point for our advocacy.

Updates are always difficult but I believe Mackay J and his team have produced the level of consistency needed for the making of awards which served the interests of justice as well as any person can. Lord Justice Waller, in his Foreword, welcomes the work and highlights the comments from the book's readers together with all the different areas where reports are to be found which makes the working party's job so difficult.

This is not, however, a `ready reckoner' but, as Mackay says, it distils the conventional wisdom contained in the reported cases, and supplements it from the collective experience of his working party, presenting the result in a convenient, logical and coherent form.

The work is now widely adopted as the starting point in negotiating levels of payment for general damages in personal injury cases. Contents cover the following: Injuries Involving Paralysis; Head Injuries; Psychiatric Damage; Injuries Affecting the Senses; Injuries to Internal Organs; Orthopaedic Injuries; Facial Injuries; Scarring to Other Parts of the Body; Damage to Hair; Dermatitis and a useful index.

The publishers send copies of these guidelines to all hearing PI cases, and it is an indispensible tool for all legal professionals involved in PI litigation, from lawyers to insurance companies, trades unions and medical defence organisations.

Today, I cannot be without my copy of the JSB guidelines, and I know the clients appreciate the wisdom they give!


General Damages leads the cavalry to the rescue, 22 Mar 2001
This pioneering biography of General Damages - General Custer's deputy at the Battle of the Little Big Horn is to be welcomed. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the accounts of Damage's family background and the synopsis of his distinguished military career. Full marks for trying Mr. Author.

Fresh insight into the magistracy, 25 Feb 2003
I was fortunate enough to receive this book as a Christmas present from my son - admittedly after a strong hint that I would like to have it. I was glad that I found time to read it before I first sat on the Bench in January 2003.

By describing his own thoughts and feelings as he applied, was interviewed and appointed, undertook his training and then gained his first two years' experience on the Bench in north London, Trevor Grove performs an excellent service. His lively accounts of each stage in his development, from initial application to completing his probation, very much accorded with my own journey over the last year, so they served to reinforce what I am learning. Here is someone who has recently lived through his own novitiate - and survived.

The Magistrate's Tale is exceptionally well written, as one might expect from a professional journalist, who worked for The Spectator, Evening Standard, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph, and was Editor of The Sunday Telegraph. This is his second book. His first, The Juryman's Tale, was published by Bloomsbury in 1998, after he had been inspired by serving as a juror at the Old Bailey in a 64-day trial that involved the kidnap of a Greek shipping magnate and a $3,000,000 ransom. So impressed was he with that experience of the criminal justice system that he responded positively to the suggestion of a JP friend that he should apply to become a magistrate.

His account of observing magistrates before he completed his application included one case that grabbed his attention - that of a man found to be drunk in charge of his car, although he had been in the back seat...
As it happened, one of the "structured observations" in my training - the trial of a 'Not Guilty' case - was very similar. The only differences were that the sleeping driver was found at the wheel and the engine was running. That case was particularly interesting because the standard of proof was not "beyond reasonable doubt" but "the balance of probabilities". The burden of proof therefore shifted to the Defence, which sought to employ the statutory defence that, at the material time, there was no likelihood of the defendant driving or attempting to drive whilst in excess of the legal limit.

The Aldershot Bench took some 20 minutes to decide that, on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely than not that the defendant would have driven whilst unfit. Even so, although he had his clean driving licence endorsed with 10 penalty points, he must have been happy to get away with a £300 fine and £300 costs, rather than the disqualification that Grove claimed to be mandatory.

Grove's feelings on being sworn in also struck a chord because, like me, he was particularly impressed by the last part of the oath: "I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this Realm without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."
...The Magistrate's Tale is a fascinating mixture of history, endorsement of the magistracy in the 2001 review by Lord Justice Auld (who provides the foreword to Grove's book), visits to courts throughout the country, and revealing interviews, such as that with Sue Baring, chair of the British Institute of Human Rights, who started her 21 years as JP on the Winchester Bench in 1965.

Happily for a novice like myself, The Magistrate's Tale ends on an optimistic note. After all, no one wants to be joining a failing institution in its final throes...
I therefore recommend The Magistrate's Tale as a worthwhile addition to the bookshelves of candidate, new and even experienced JPs who want a fresh insight into the magistracy.

Recommended for anyone interested in the Supreme Court, 18 Apr 1998
Prof. Schwartz' book is the best I have read on the subject to date, and as a Judge, I have a particular interest in the Supreme Court. Schwartz' writing flows, and his knowledge is second to none. I recommend this book to anyone even casually interested in the Supreme Court. He really brings this subject to life.

A lucid and enjoyable overview, 16 Nov 1997
As a University of Tulsa College of Law Alum, I was fortunate enough to have been instructed in Constitutional Law by Professor Schwartz. His lucid, anecdotal style of teaching inspired me(yes, I did say inspire) to read A History of the Supreme Court. I found it to be the most entertaining and informative one volume treatise available on this venerable institution. I can honestly say that this book is a must for anyone, laymen or lawyer, who would like to know more about the branch of government that shapes the laws that shape our lives.

This book helped me a lot., 16 Aug 1997
This summer I took a CTY course that was on U.S. history and Constitutional law and how the two work together. We had a lot of reading in a book by Stanley Kutler. We used Schwartz to help us understand what Kutler was saying. Schwartz helped me a lot by explaining a lot of what was going on at diffrent times in the Supreme Court. This book is also filled with a lot of intresting facts like how at the beginning of the Supreme Court Cheif Justice Jay was going to wear a wig, like British Judges, and how the court got to its present attire.Schwartz is definitly a good book to have handy when researching the Supreme Court.

Solid history, 06 May 1997
Author succeeds in packing sufficient detail into a one volume work without getting into overload and, more importantly, while keeping it readable. The chapters on ROE and BROWN are worth the read in itself. Read this instead of THE BRETHREN. Also check out Gunther's bio on Judge Hand.

Civil Litigation in English we can all understand !, 08 Jan 2002
There are a probably alot of LPC students out there faced with the daunting task of exams in the near future !

This book is worth all of the 900 pages it claims to be. From start to finish it guides you through the entire civil litigation process.

Gone are the headaches as the pieces of the jigsaw slip into place.

It remains the best ...I have spent this academic year.

A book worthy of the investment.

A handy legal guide, 05 Jan 2006
Kermit Hall, editor of the Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, is also editor of this volume that looks specifically at the cases. This book does have an appendix with basic information such as lists of Justices, but for the most part, this book is really a compilation of short articles that deal with the major cases of the Supreme Court.

This guide contains hundreds of major cases that set important precedents for later courts, lower courts and society at large to follow. From early pivotal cases such as Marbury v. Madison, which set the precedent of judicial supremacy in Constitutional review, to the more recent cases such as Brown v. Board of Education (striking down 'separate but equal' arrangements), Miranda v. Arizona (setting up the popularly-known 'Miranda rights'), and Roe v. Wade. Unfortunately, this book was published before the monumental Bush v. Gore decision (Hall discusses this in his other Oxford Companion) - hopefully it will be included in a later edition. Each decision includes a description of the key issues, the opinion of the court, those who concur, significant dissents and attendant issues that might arise.

This text also includes insights into the significant personalities of the Supreme Court, facts and trivia about the Supreme Court, and more. However, these are interesting incidentals, not detracting from the primary purpose of the text, which is to show the decisions themselves.

The text includes an index of cases as well as an index of topics. This is a very useful text for those who need a quick, ready reference to the cases, particularly student of law, criminal justice, or political science.