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ICPRH 270 : Social Justice and the Courts (HC)
Background on the Supreme Court:
Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, c2004.
This guide provides historical and institutional background. Volume I analyzes court decisions through time. Volume II looks at the way justices do their workand the systems which impact the court.
For information on cases prior to 2000, the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution has articles on individual cases as well as on the issues involved, i. e. "Abortion and the Constitution," "Eminent Domain," and "Taking of Property." Note that updated information appears as a separate article following the original entry.
For information on cases prior to 2000, the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution has articles on individual cases as well as on the issues involved, i. e. "Abortion and the Constitution," "Eminent Domain," and "Taking of Property." Note that updated information appears as a separate article following the original entry.
The Oxford companion to the Supreme Court of the United States
Publisher: New York : Oxford University Press, 2005.
"The second edition of the Companion includes more than twelve hundred articles on all aspects of the Court's history, personnel, and operations. There are biographies of each justice and entries on important cases, issues, and the workings and minutiae of the Court. There are fully updated treatments of such crucial areas of constitutional law as abortion, freedom of religion, school desegregation, freedom of speech, voting rights, and the rights of the accused."--BOOK JACKET.
Supreme Court (Official Web Site)
The Supreme Court site gives background information on the activities and personnel of the Court. It also provides many different types of documents. See the link below for opinions.
Supreme Court watch ...
Publisher: New York : Norton,
This annual guide analyzes recent major cases in the preceding term and previews the following term. Includes many pertinent excerpts from arguments and decisions. The volume for 2007 is being cataloged now. It consists of highlights for 2004-2006 and a preview of the 2007 term.
U. S. Supreme Court (Duke Law Library)
An easy-to-use guide that concentrates on providing explanations along with the needed tools.
For a more detailed treatment, see Gail Partin's guide on the LLRX site.
For a more detailed treatment, see Gail Partin's guide on the LLRX site.
Finding Supreme Court Opinions:
Opinions (Supreme Court of the United States)
This page from the Supreme Court site provides slip opinions from 2004-2007. For earlier years, there are the final versions of opinions in the United States Reports. They are in PDF form and can be more easily searched in the U. S. Supreme Court Cases, Lawyers' Edition (listed below).
Supreme Court (Cornell University Law School)
This exemplary site gives a range of tools and information including sections devoted to current awareness and an archive of opinions. You can search for opinions by time period and also browse them by topic, supreme court justice, and the party case names.
U. S. Supreme Court Cases, Lawyers' Edition (Lexis Nexis Academic)
This subscription service is available through the Legal Searches section of Lexis Nexis.
You will need to choose U. S. Supreme Court Cases, Lawyers' Edition in the Select Sources box.
Cases online date back to 1790. Briefs, oral argument transcripts, and secondary sources are linked to the opinions.
You will need to choose U. S. Supreme Court Cases, Lawyers' Edition in the Select Sources box.
Cases online date back to 1790. Briefs, oral argument transcripts, and secondary sources are linked to the opinions.
Researching State Courts:
Federal and State Cases (Lexis Nexis Academic)
Use the Select Source drop down menu on this page to specify the specific court's cases you want to search. Note the choice that groups together all the highest courts for all states. Also state court cases are available both combined in a single group and as individual states.
LexisNexis State capital
Tracks state bills, finds state statutes and regulations, gives access to state legislative reports and other policy-concerned media, and monitors legal developments.
State Courts by Jurisdiction (Cornell University Law School)
This directory provides links for all fifty states to decisions by state courts, including state supreme courts. There is additional supporting material in terms of legislation, regulatory material, and agency home pages.
U S State Laws - Cases, Codes, Statutes and Regulations
FindLaw, a commercial site for legal professionals, has put together this collection of links. Individual state pages sometimes provide multiple sites for state court decisions.
Finding Analysis on Law and Policy:
FindLaw
In addition to providing judicial decisions (as listed above), FindLaw also presents commentaray and news. Use the search box on the home page
Law Reviews (Lexis Nexis Academic)
Lexis Nexis brings together full text articles from law review journals. Use the Select Sources drop down menu to specify either the complete group of law reviews or a subset/s by topical area.
LexisNexis Congressional
Provides daily updated information on the U.S. legislature, including full text of bills starting in 1989, public laws starting in 1988, committee reports starting in 1990, House and Senate hearings starting in 1970, Congressional Record starting in 1985, Federal Register starting in 1980, National Journal starting in 1977 and other government information.
PAIS international
Provider: CSA
Provides abstracts of journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, intergovernmental, and private organizations reports. Areas covered include political, economic, social and public policy issues. Covers 1915-present.
PolicyFile
Provider: Chadwyck-Healey
Provides online access to reports and full-text articles on public policy research and analysis from think tanks, university research programs, research organizations and publishers.Covers a wide range of topics from international trade to health care reform, from telecommunications regulation to terrorism.
Shepard's Citations (Lexis Nexis)
This online version of Shepard's allows you to find references to legal opinions when they are cited in subsequent cases. This helps you develop an understanding of the opinion as it is interpreted by later judges. Use the appropriate abbreviation for the set you have consulted for the opinion. The opinions in Lexis Nexis provide multiple citations in the brief results list for you to use in Shepard's , i. e.
505 U.S. 717 Unites States Reports = U.S.
112 S. Ct. 2727 Supreme Court Reporter = S. Ct.
120 L. Ed. 2d 575 Lawyers' Edition, Supreme Court Reports = L. Ed.
1992 U.S. LEXIS 4534 United States Supreme Court LEXIS cite = U.S. Lexs
Shepard's also provides references to later citations of law review articles. This kind of search can produce a group of recent articles focused on your specific topic.
505 U.S. 717 Unites States Reports = U.S.
112 S. Ct. 2727 Supreme Court Reporter = S. Ct.
120 L. Ed. 2d 575 Lawyers' Edition, Supreme Court Reports = L. Ed.
1992 U.S. LEXIS 4534 United States Supreme Court LEXIS cite = U.S. Lexs
Shepard's also provides references to later citations of law review articles. This kind of search can produce a group of recent articles focused on your specific topic.
Worldwide political science abstracts
Provider: CSA
Provides citations and abstracts of journals in political science and related fields including international relations, law, and public administration/policy. Covers 1975-present.
Class Topics:
Abortion (Medline Plus)
The National Library of Medicine provides this overview of the the medical procedure along with links to medical journal articles and to statistics.
What Roe v. Wade should have said
Publisher: New York : New York University Press, c2005.
"In What Roe v. Wade Should Have Said, eleven distinguished constitutional scholars rewrite the opinions in this controversial case in light of thirty years' experience but making use only of sources available at the time of the original decision. Taking positions both for and against the constitutional right to abortion, the contributors offer novel and illuminating arguments that get to the heart of this case. In addition, Jack M. Balkin gives a detailed introduction to Roe v. Wade, chronicling the history of the Roe litigation, the constitutional and political clashes that followed, and the state of abortion rights in the United States today."--BOOK JACKET.
Affirmative Action in Education
Affirmative Action and Diversity Project
A resource intended for academic use. Presents different viewpoints.
"Affirmative Action at School and on the Job" (Annual Review of Sociology)
This literature review evaluates recent scholarship on affirmative acction in the areas of law as well as sociology, economics, and history. Use it and other review articles for quick access to significant ideas.
Understanding affirmative action : politics, discrimination, and the search for justice
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : Georgetown University Press, c2006.
"In this concise and up-to-date introduction, J. Edward Kellough brings together historical, philosophical, and legal analyses to fully inform participants and observers of the debate surrounding affirmative action policy. Aiming to promote a more through knowledge of the issues involved, this book covers the history, legal status, controversies, and impact of affirmative action in both the private and public sectors - and in education as well as employment."--BOOK JACKET.
Eminent Domain
Castle Coalition (Institute of Justice)
A libertarian-sponsored public interest group organized to fight against eminent domain decisions.
Eminent Domain (National Conference of State Legislatures)
This public interest group for state legislatures is tracking here state actions as a result of the U. S. Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London.
Property Rights: Should the use of eminent domain be limited? (CQ Researcher)
A report which includes background information, bibliography, organizations, and differing viewpoints.
Exclusionary Zoning
American Planning Association
Use the search box on the home page to find material about exclusionary zoning.
Supreme neglect
Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 2008.
"This latest addition to Oxford's Inalienable Rights series provides a succinct, pointed look at property rights in America - how they came to be, how they have evolved, and why they should once again be a mainstay of the law. Richard A. Epstein examines all aspects of private property - from real estate to water rights to intellectual property. He takes the reader from the strongly protective property rights advocated by the framers of the Constitution through to the weak property rights supported by Progressive and liberal politicians of the twentieth century; and finally to our own time, which has seen a sudden reemergence of property rights advocacy following the Supreme Court's landmark Keto v. New London decision in 2005. The author's own powerful defense of property rights threads through the narrative."--BOOK JACKET. See Chapter 8 on zoning.