The Decline and Fall of the Supreme Court - by Christopher C Faille (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Decline and Fall of the Supreme Court examines the contemporary work of the U.S. Supreme Court and the advice and consent role of the Senate with regard to nominees to the Court. After presenting historical background on the intentions of the federalists and 20th-century jurisprudence, the work describes the baleful effects of the recent theory known as legal realism. The author examines the most dramatic of those effects--the polarized, polarizing, and partisan confirmation hearings with which the United States has become familiar--beginning with Abe Fortas and culminating with Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. This study will be of interest to scholars and laypeople in American history, political science, and law.

Book Synopsis

The Decline and Fall of the Supreme Court examines the contemporary work of the U.S. Supreme Court and the advice and consent role of the Senate with regard to nominees to the Court. After presenting historical background on the intentions of the federalists and 20th-century jurisprudence, the work describes the baleful effects of the recent theory known as legal realism. The author examines the most dramatic of those effects--the polarized, polarizing, and partisan confirmation hearings with which the United States has become familiar--beginning with Abe Fortas and culminating with Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. This study will be of interest to scholars and laypeople in American history, political science, and law.

Review Quotes

.,."is an entertaining history of Supreme Court nominations and confirmations from the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt through George Bush. A brief and engaging history not only of the Supreme Court confirmation battles of the last half century, but of the Court's major decisions as well. Colorfully written, a stimulating read."-The Federal Lawyer

?...is an entertaining history of Supreme Court nominations and confirmations from the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt through George Bush. A brief and engaging history not only of the Supreme Court confirmation battles of the last half century, but of the Court's major decisions as well. Colorfully written, a stimulating read.?-The Federal Lawyer

?Faille adds a distinctive voice to those critics who perceive a decline in the moral authority of the US Supreme Court. His conclusions hang from the rise of legal realism and the distortion and misuse of the senatorial confirmation process. A superb book, required reading for all seeking to understand the problems of the American constitutional system.?-Choice

?The book has a great deal of merit, ?-The Annals of the American Academy

?The book has a great deal of merit, ??The Annals of the American Academy

..."is an entertaining history of Supreme Court nominations and confirmations from the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt through George Bush. A brief and engaging history not only of the Supreme Court confirmation battles of the last half century, but of the Court's major decisions as well. Colorfully written, a stimulating read."-The Federal Lawyer

"The book has a great deal of merit,"-The Annals of the American Academy

"Faille adds a distinctive voice to those critics who perceive a decline in the moral authority of the US Supreme Court. His conclusions hang from the rise of legal realism and the distortion and misuse of the senatorial confirmation process. A superb book, required reading for all seeking to understand the problems of the American constitutional system."-Choice

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER C. FAILLE is a graduate of Marist College and the Western New England School of Law. He is a contributor to the Federal Bar News & Journal and is author of These Last Four Centuries (1988).