The History of the Supreme Court

By: Peter Irons, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Peter Irons

For more than two centuries, the Supreme Court has exerted extraordinary influence over the way we live our daily lives. The Court has defined the boundaries of our speech and actions since its first meeting in 1790, adding to our history books names such as John Marshall, Louis Brandeis, Hugo Black, Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, Warren Burger, William Rehnquist, and many others.

Have you ever wondered what goes into shaping the Court's decisions - or the beliefs of its justices? Or how the nine justices blend divergent and often strongly conflicting philosophies to reach decisions that reflect consensus - or sometimes fail to? How even a single change in the Court's personnel can dramatically alter not only the Court's ideological balance but its cooperative chemistry, as well? Or what it actually sounded like in the Court as some of the most important cases in our history were argued? This series of 36 clear and insightful lectures - delivered by an award-winning teacher and widely respected authority on the Supreme Court - answers these questions and many more as it traces the development of the Court from a body having little power or prestige to its current status as, "the most powerful and prestigious judicial institution in the world."

The lectures are rich in biographical snapshots of not only the justices but also the advocates who have stood before them and the dozens of ordinary men and women whose cases have reached the Court. Several historical recordings are also highlighted, giving you a front-row seat as you hear lawyers actually arguing before the Court, as well as the justices' replies.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2003 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2003 The Great Courses

Engrossing

This is a lecture series from the Great Courses that Audible provides. I normally obtain the video lectures via the Teaching Company but some courses work very well as an audio lecture such as this one. The professor for this course on the History of the Supreme Court is Peter Irons. He was a law professor at the University of California San Diego; he also taught political science.

The course format is 36 lectures of 30 minutes each. Professor Irons covers the formation of the Court up to the date of the course in 2001. Professor Irons covers key decisions of the Court and constitutional law. The author also discusses some of the key decisions and Chief Justices over the years. Professor Irons provides more information on John Marshall the 2nd Chief Justice, Chief Justice Roger Taney and Civil War Amendments. He also discusses the effects of Oliver Wendell-Holmes and Louis Brandeis on the Court. He covers Chief Justice William Howard Taft, the former President of the United States, who was appointed to the Court after he finished the office of the President. He also covers the New Deal, the cold war, Civil Rights and the appointment of Thurgood Marshall the first black on the Court. Sandra Day O’Connor the first women appointed to the Court.

The last Chief Justice appointed by a Democrat President was Frederick Moore Vinson (1890-1953) appointed by President Harry Truman in 1946. At that time the Court was divided by two opposing justices, Hugo Black and Felix Frankfurter. Vinson died suddenly of a heart attack in 1953. From 1953 to date, the Court has had a Chief Justice appointed by a Republican President. Irons goes on to review the all Republican appointed Chief Justices: Earl Warren, Warren Burger, and William Rehnquist. The course ends before the appointment of Roberts by President Bush.

The Professor did an excellent job presenting the course. The course was meticulously researched and presented. This is presented as a university course. I learned a great deal about the Court for reading this course. Over the last few years I have been reading biographies of the Supreme Court Justices and I was amazed at how much I have learned. The course provides a concise review of the Court for easy learning.

Ends too soon

I was disappointed that it ends at about the year 2000. But that's my only complaint. Very interesting and engaging. Easy to listen to, easy to understand. Enjoyable.

Should Be A Required Course

This course provides an excellent overview of the history of the Supreme Court and gives an interesting look into how certain justices came to be appointed to the bench.

A must read for understanding this vital branch of US government.

interesting overview of the U.S. Supreme Court

The course delves into many prominent cases of the past two centuries. The political shifts are discussed, as are the personalities of the Justices crafting the decisions.

The Great Peter Irons

A staple in legal scholarship, Peter Irons' work never disappoints. Specifically, when Irons begins talking about the Supreme Court you can hear his energy take flight. A professor who is an artist at his craft and teaches each course with immense passion. Cannot recommend this course enough.

A lot of good information.

A reasonably good history. It had good biographical sketches and described the cases well. The lecturer had a liberal bias.

Very Informative!

The history and explanation of cases reviewed by the Supreme Court over the last 200 years was extremely interesting and informative.

Inspiring

The most important issues in the history of our country were clearly described and placed in historical perspective by a gifted teacher and narrator.

Interesting listen

I thought this was a great listen. I've listened to several of the Great Courses, and this is probably the best I've heard so far. I think Irons did a great job speaking clearly and I didn't really feel like there was a major bias although he does clearly state at the beginning that his biases color his view on the history of the court. I enjoyed listening to each lecture, but I was pretty disappointed in the last lecture recap.

Fantastic History

You'll love this book even if you are not a lawyer!! The professor explains issues, personalities and history so well in each lecture so that the listener fully understands the context of opinions and their importance to American jurisprudence. Had my con law class been this interesting, my practice might have taken a different path!!