Connecticut State Library with state seal

Spotlight on ...the Law Collection at the CT State Library
Constitution, Courts, and Individual Liberties, row three

The Constitution and It's Amendments, by Roger K. Newman (MacMillan Reference USA, 1999)

KF4557 .C66 1999
"Comprehensive 4 volume set. For the general public as well as students of all ages interested in learning about the U.S. Constitution. The content is arranged in an easily explainable way and not as an analytical compendium. "There are 165 articles organized by constitutional clauses by 121 authors. While most of the essays discuss specific articles or amendments, some entries focus on certain concepts, on a subject of importance during a particular period, or on essential cases. Entries are no longer than 2,500 words broken into several sections and are nearly always chronological. Key terms are defined in the side columns next to the sentence in which they first appear. Each entry has at least one sidebar often accompanied by a political caricature."

Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties, and Justice, by Lee Epstein and Thomas G. Walker (CQ Press, 2004)

KF4748 .E67 2004
"This book was developed with the goal in mind of examining Constitutional law by combining the lessons of the legal model with influences of the political process. Emphasis is placed on the arguments raised by lawyers and interest groups and the politics surrounding litigation, for example, and includes tables and figures on Court trends, profiles of influential justices and organizations, and other materials that bring out the rich legal, social, and political contexts in which the Court reaches its decisions. Material in this book is also designed to enhance an understanding of the law such as information on the Supreme Court decision-making process, the structure of the federal judiciary, and briefing court cases. Also included is a glossary of legal terms and brief biographical information on each justice."

Constitutional Politics: Essays on Constitution Making, Maintenance, and Change, edited by Sotirios A. Barber and Robert P. George (Princeton University Press, 2001)

KF4541 .C589 2001
"What does it mean to have a constitution? Scholars and students associated with Walter Murphy at Princeton University have long asked this question in their exploration of constitutional politics and judicial behavior. These scholars, concerned with the making, maintenance, and deliberate change of the Constitution, have made unique and significant contributions to our understanding of American constitutional law by going against the norm of court-centered and litigation-minded research. Beginning in the late 1970s, this new wave of academics explored questions ranging from the nature of creating the U.S. Constitution to the philosophy behind amending it. In this collection, the authors bring together fourteen essays by members of this Princeton group - some of the most distinguished scholars in the field. These works consider the meaning of having a constitution, the implications of particular choices in the design of constitutions, and the meaning of judicial supremacy in the interpretation of the Constitution. The overarching ambition of this collection is to awaken a constitutionalist consciousness in its readers - to view themselves as potential makers and changers of constitutions, as opposed to mere subjects of existing arrangements."

Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge, by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic (Temple University Press, 2000)

KF4755 .C75 2000
"This book is for the reader who wishes to learn about Critical Race Theory, a dynamic, eclectic, and growing movement in the law. CRT began in the mid-1970s with the early work of Derrick Bell (an African-American) and Alan Freeman (a white), both of whom were deeply distressed over the slow pace of racial reform in the United States. It seemed to them - and they were quickly joined by others - that the civil rights movement of the 1960s had stalled, and indeed that many of its gains were being rolled back. New approaches were needed to understand and come to grips with the more subtle, but just as deeply entrenched, varieties of racism that characterize our times. Old approaches - filing amicus briefs, marching, coining new litigation strategies, etc. were yielding smaller and smaller returns. This second edition presents new ideas from current CRT writers on topics such as crime, gay-lesbian issues, the black-white binary, intergroup tensions, and critical race practice and activism. It also includes much new writing by young Asian and Latino/a scholars."

Homosexuality and the Law: A Dictionary, by Chuck Stewart (ABC-CLIO, Inc, 2001)

KF4754.5.A68 S74 2001
"This book is written for high school, college, and postgraduate students, as well as researchers and people interested in gay issues. Entries are comprehensive to reduce the number of cross-references needed to understand the topic. This law book is different [in that it contains] extensive reference to sociological, psychological, and medical information on homosexuality. Terms that have their own entries in the book are in boldfaced type the first time they appear in another entry. Cases are generally woven into the text and lists of cases and statutes referred to in the text are provided at the end of the book. A comprehensive appendix of state and local laws affecting sexual orientation are provided."