This brand new edition of Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court reflects the substantial changes in the makeup of the High Court and landmark rulings from recent Court terms. No other reference on the Court offers so much detail and insight in such a readable format. Updated through the 2008-2009 term, this classic resource explains everything readers need to know about the Supreme Court, from its origins and how it functions to the people who have shaped it and the impact of its decisions on American life and the path of U.S. constitutional law.

Updates include:



The appointments of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, as well as Associate Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor-featuring biographies and background information
A new chapter on the emergence of Second Amendment protections for the Right to Bear Arms
New content on individual rights
New information and detail on how cases currently get to the Court, and how the process has changed over time
Expanded content on selecting justices and the confirmation politics of judicial appointments

Landmark decisions and key cases:



District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)-gun rights and the Second Amendment
Boumediene v. Bush (2008)-Guantanamo and habeas corpus
Roper v. Simmons (2005)-on death penalty and juveniles

Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court covers the Court's entire history; its operations; its power in relation to other branches of government; major decisions affecting the other branches, the states, individual rights and liberties; and biographies of the justices.

Appendixes provide additional information on the Court such as the Judiciary Acts of 1789 and 1925 and a list of Acts of Congress found by the Court to be unconstitutional. A general name and subject index speeds research, and a case index quickly guides readers to all decisions discussed in the Guide.

Key Features



Covers three new Supreme Court justices and the confirmation process
Demonstrates how cases get to the Court
New content on individual rights
New chapter on the Second Amendment