Sorcerers' Apprentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court Contributor(s): Ward, Artemus (Author), Weiden, David L. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0814794041 ISBN-13: 9780814794043 Publisher: New York University Press OUR PRICE: $88.11 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: April 2006 Annotation: View the Table of Contents. Read the Introduction. "Ward and Weiden have produced that rare book that is both a meticulous piece of scholarship and a good read. The authors have . . . sifted through a varied and voluminous amount of archival material, winnowing out the chaff and leaving the excellent wheat for our consumption. They marry this extensive archival research with original survey data, using both to great effect." "Helps illuminate the inner workings of an institution that is still largely shrouded in mystery." "The main quibble . . . with contemporary law clerks is that they wield too much influence over their justices' opinion-writing. Artemus and Weiden broaden this concern to the clerks' influence on the thinking of the justices about how to decide cases." Provides excellent insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court, how it selects cases for review, what pressures are brought to bear on the justices, and how the final opinions are produced. Recommended for all academic libraries. Artemus Ward and David L. Weiden argue that the clerks have more power than they used to have, and probably more power than they should. The book contains a wealth of historical information. . . . A reader can learn a lot from this pioneering study. Meticulous in scholarship. . . . Sorcerers' Apprentices presents convincing statistical evidence that the aggregate time that law clerks spend on certiorari memos has fallen considerably because of the reduction in the number of memos written by eachclerk. Ward and Weiden have produced that rare book that is both a meticulous piece of scholarship and a good read. Based on judicial working papers and extensive interviews, the authors have compiled the most complete picture to date of the transformation of Supreme Court law clerks from stenographers to ghost-writers. This will instantly become an essential resource for students of the Court. "A truly excellent study on an interesting and important question. As we know from the popularity of "The Brethren" and "Closed Chambers," people love insider accounts of Supreme Court decision making, and this book provides that from a very unique point of view." "An urgently needed and highly readable study of the most powerful young lawyers in America: law clerks at the Supreme Court. Law clerks themselves tend to vastly overstate or underestimate their importance, but authors Artemus Ward and David Weiden have gotten it just right: law clerks wield significant and growing power at the nation's highest court. This eye-opening book charts that growth and points to the potential for abuse." ...[E]xceptionally informative in tracing the history of the institution of the Supreme Court clerks. The analysis of the evolution of both the job and the influence that clerks have on the Courts decisions. Law clerks have been apermanent fixture in the halls of the United States Supreme Court from its founding, but the relationship between clerks and their justices has generally been cloaked in secrecy. While the role of the justice is both public and formal, particularly in terms of the decisions a justice makes and the power that he or she can wield in the American political system, the clerk has historically operated behind closed doors. Do clerks make actual decisions that they impart to justices, or are they only research assistants that carry out the instructions of the decision makersthe justices? Based on Supreme Court archives, the personal papers of justices and other figures at the Supreme Court, and interviews and written surveys with 150 former clerks, Sorcerers Apprentices is a rare behind-the-scenes look at the life of a law clerk, and how it has evolved since its nineteenth-century beginnings. Artemus Ward and David L. Weiden reveal that throughout history, clerks have not only written briefs, but made significant decisions about cases that are often unseen by those outside of justices' chambers. Should clerks have this power, they ask, and, equally important, what does this tell us about the relationship between the Supreme Courts accountability to and relationship with the American public? Sorcerers' Apprentices not only sheds light on the little-known role of the clerk but offers provocative suggestions for reforming the institution of the Supreme Court clerk. Anyone that has worked as a law clerk, is considering clerking, or is interested in learning about what happens in the chambers of Supreme Court justices will want to read this engaging and comprehensive examination of how the roleof the law clerk has evolved over its long history. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Law | Courts - General - History | United States - General - Law | Legal History |
Dewey: 347.731 |
LCCN: 2005037482 |
Physical Information: 1.03" H x 6.44" W x 9.5" (1.39 lbs) 352 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Law clerks have been a permanent fixture in the halls of the United States Supreme Court from its founding, but the relationship between clerks and their justices has generally been cloaked in secrecy. While the role of the justice is both public and formal, particularly in terms of the decisions a justice makes and the power that he or she can wield in the American political system, the clerk has historically operated behind closed doors. Do clerks make actual decisions that they impart to justices, or are they only research assistants that carry out the instructions of the decision makers--the justices? |
Contributor Bio(s): Ward, Artemus: - Artemus Ward is assistant professor of political science at Northern Illinois University, and author of Deciding To Leave: The Politics of Retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court. Weiden, David L.: -David L. Weiden is assistant professor of politics and government and director of the legal studies program at Illinois State University. |