Observes that the bulk of the federal judiciary's business is handled by lower federal courts. Discusses the evolving structure and business of the federal judiciary, district courts, circuit courts of appeal, declining federal supervisory capacity due to rising case loads, and future problems likely to be faced by the federal judiciary. (DSK)

Defines the terms "dissent" and "concurrence" as they apply to the United States Supreme Court. Traces briefly the history of written dissents and concurrences, and presents arguments both for and against the practice. Includes numerous examples of significant dissents and concurrences that have impacted constitutional…

Outlines the history of the doctrine of judicial review, which makes the Supreme Court the final arbiter in questions of constitutional interpretation. Discusses debates over the structure and role of the judiciary at the Constitutional Convention, the impact of Chief Justice John Marshall, and distinctive features of 20th-century judicial…

Presents a basic lesson on the complex problems of judicial interpretation for a high-school government survey. Includes lesson objectives, background on lesson design, overview information for students, a list of student materials, expected time for lesson, procedural outline, bibliography, and two student handouts. (DSK)

Presents a bibliographic essay surveying research and literature on the United States Supreme Court. Divides literature on the Court into six categories: (1) constitutional interpretation; (2) general and period histories; (3) biographies; (4) case studies; (5) judicial process; and (6) reference works. Includes a four-page bibliography. (DSK)

Maintains that "New York Times v. Sullivan" (1964) was the greatest political libel case ever decided by the Supreme Court. Asserts that it is a monument to the idea that open political discourse is the best guarantee of democratic self-governance. (CFR)

Illuminates the importance of Chief Justice William Howard Taft in creating the modern administrative role of the Chief Justice of the United States. Specifically, the article examines the Act of 14 September 1922 that Taft championed in Congress to give the Chief Justice better tools for managing the judiciary. (DSK)

Presents two lessons designed to counter textbook images of minorities merely as victims, by introducing high school students to two federal court cases involving Asian immigrants' efforts to guarantee their rights. Includes lesson objectives, background on lesson organization, procedural outline, primary documents necessary for each lesson, and…

Presents an annotated bibliography of Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) resources related to the history of the United States Supreme Court. Materials selected include books, academic journals, theme issues, workbooks, and curriculum guides. Includes information on locating, ordering, and reproducing these resources. Also provides…

Describes 21 World Wide Web sites devoted to various aspects of judicial history. Includes for each entry the site name, address (Uniform Resource Locator), and brief description of site contents. Focuses primarily on United States judicial history but also includes some resources for Anglo-Irish legal history and world legal history. (DSK)

Presents a lesson plan that highlights the role of the Supreme Court in determining the applicability of the first eight constitutional amendments to the rights of students. Allows students to study actual Supreme Court cases involving schools. Includes lesson objectives, procedural outline, numerous case-related primary documents, and a brief…

Provides a brief overview of historical and legal scholarship on gun control and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Limits its scope to works by acknowledged legal and historical scholars, avoiding contemporary pro- and anti-gun-control opinion pieces. Includes a bibliography of further resources for teachers. (DSK)