Freedom of Expression in the Supreme Court
Freedom of Expression in the Supreme Courtis a valuable contribution to the literature on modern constitutional law. While fully attentive to legal doctrines and styles of judicial decision making, Eastland provides a clear, critical, and refreshingly nontechnical documentary account of succeeding waves of civil libertarianism that have redefined the relationship between American citizens and the federal government in the twentieth century. Substantial selections from leading judicial opinions, combined with contemporary journalistic commentary, give this sourcebook a richly contextualized historical character. (Herman Belz, University of Maryland, College Park)Freedom of Expression in the Supreme Courtrenders a significant contribution to our First Amendment literature. The 60 defining 20th century freedom of speech, press, and assembly cases, from Schenck (1919) through Finley (1998), represent a splendid compendium of the subject, both for the public at large and as a teaching tool. The author deserves warm plaudits for a handsomely produced and expertly edited work. (Henry J. Abraham, University of Virginia)This book should be in the classrooms—not just the libraries—of our school. (Nat HentoffUSA Today)Eastland has assembled an excellent collection of landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases and provides commentary dealing with free expression in a masterly introductory essay. Each of the 60 cases covered includes an informative statement of the facts, an explanation of the doctrine or test used in reaching the decision, and an account of how the Court later treated the precedent set by the case. Excerpts from Court opinions and major concurrences and dissents are carefully selected. 'Responses,' editorial comments from national newspapers and magazines, or statements from organizations affected by the rulings follow most cases. This unique feature provides thoughtful material for evaluating the cases. This book would be a splendid text for courses in constitutional law, political science, or journalism. Recommended for undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections. (CHOICE)A splendid textbook for any free speech class, or for that matter for any reader interested in free speech. The contemporaneous reactions from leading newspapers are an especially valuable and unusual feature. (Eugene Volokh, UCLA School of Law)