Overview
Winner of the Anne B. & James B. McMillan Prize in Southern History Examines the legacies of eight momentous US Supreme Court decisions that have their origins in Alabama legal disputes Unknown to many, Alabama has played a remarkable role in a number of Supreme Court rulings that continue to touch the lives of every American. In Alabama Justice: The Cases and Faces That Changed a Nation, Steven P. Brown has identified eight landmark cases that deal with religion, voting rights, libel, gender discrimination, and other issues, all originating from legal disputes in Alabama. Written in a concise and accessible manner, each case law chapter begins with the circumstances that created the dispute. Brown then provides historical and constitutional background for the issue followed by a review of the path of litigation. Excerpts from the Court’s ruling in the case are also presented, along with a brief account of the aftermath and significance of the decision. The First Amendment (New York Times v. Sullivan), racial redistricting (Gomillion v. Lightfoot), the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (Frontiero v. Richardson), and prayer in public schools (Wallace v. Jaffree) are among the pivotal issues stamped indelibly by disputes with their origins in Alabama legal, political, and cultural landscapes. In addition to his analysis of cases, Brown discusses the three associate justices sent from Alabama to the Supreme Court—John McKinley, John Archibald Campbell, and Hugo Black—whose cumulative influence on the institution of the Court, constitutional interpretation, and the day-to-day rights and liberties enjoyed by every American is impossible to measure. A closing chapter examines the careers and contributions of these three Alabamians.
Full Product Details
Author: Steven P. Brown
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press
Imprint: The University of Alabama Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.70cm
, Height: 2.70cm
, Length: 23.10cm
Weight: 0.560kg
ISBN: 9780817320706
ISBN 10: 0817320709
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 30 September 2020
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
This is a fine book built around a fine premise, namely that ordinary readers in Alabama--and elsewhere, but especially in Alabama--should understand the profound impact that Alabama cases have had upon our nation's laws. Any reader who examines Alabama Justice will understand that in the mid-twentieth century, and beyond, Alabama was an epicenter of American jurisprudence. --Paul M. Pruitt Jr., author of Taming Alabama: Lawyers and Reformers, 1804-1929
This is a fine book built around a fine premise, namely that ordinary readers in Alabama—and elsewhere, but especially in Alabama—should understand the profound impact that Alabama cases have had upon our nation’s laws. Any reader who examines Alabama Justice will understand that in the mid-twentieth century, and beyond, Alabama was an epicenter of American jurisprudence."" —Paul M. Pruitt Jr., author of Taming Alabama: Lawyers and Reformers, 1804–1929
This is a fine book built around a fine premise, namely that ordinary readers in Alabama--and elsewhere, but especially in Alabama--should understand the profound impact that Alabama cases have had upon our nation's laws. Any reader who examines Alabama Justice will understand that in the mid-twentieth century, and beyond, Alabama was an epicenter of American jurisprudence. --Paul M. Pruitt Jr., author of Taming Alabama: Lawyers and Reformers, 1804-1929 Brown adds an important study to the civil rights canon. Examining not only the legacies of these cases but also the historical context in which each emerged, Alabama Justice is an excellent work that combines intense legal examination with a layman's attention to readability. Highly recommended. --CHOICE This is a fine book built around a fine premise, namely that ordinary readers in Alabama--and elsewhere, but especially in Alabama--should understand the profound impact that Alabama cases have had upon our nation's laws. Any reader who examines Alabama Justice will understand that in the mid-twentieth century, and beyond, Alabama was an epicenter of American jurisprudence. --Paul M. Pruitt Jr., author of Taming Alabama: Lawyers and Reformers, 1804-1929 Alabama Justice takes an original approach, examining cases from one region of the country and tying them together with biographies of Justices appointed from that region. I know of no other work on the Supreme Court that features a comprehensive regional bent. --Claire Cushman, author of Courtwatchers: Eyewitness Accounts in Supreme Court History
This is a fine book built around a fine premise, namely that ordinary readers in Alabama-and elsewhere, but especially in Alabama-should understand the profound impact that Alabama cases have had upon our nation's laws. Any reader who examines Alabama Justice will understand that in the mid-twentieth century, and beyond, Alabama was an epicenter of American jurisprudence. -Paul M. Pruitt Jr., author of Taming Alabama: Lawyers and Reformers, 1804-1929
Author Information
Steven P. Brown is professor of political science at Auburn University. He is author of Trumping Religion: The New Christian Right, The Free Speech Clause, and the Courts and John McKinley and the Antebellum Supreme Court: Circuit Riding in the Old Southwest.
