Supreme Court - The Law of the Land
A History of the Supreme Court
The Judiciary in general and the Supreme Court of the United States in particular represent the republic's most unusual and least understood branch of government. What goes on both in open court and behind closed doors? How are the justices, through their decisions, direct interpreters of constitutional law? This course explores the court as a living, breathing institution. Listeners will come to know the court through a thorough study of its most significant decisions. The individual lectures explore both the personalities and legal reasoning behind, as well as the political impact of, these landmark cases. In the end, students will arrive at a solid understanding of the high court, its justices, its traditions, and, most importantly, its impact on the American Republic, not only today, but over the previous two centuries.
