Using a lively narrative style rather than a legalistic approach, Haley describes the twists and turns of an evolving judiciary both empowered and constrained by its dual ties to Spanish civil law and English common law. He focuses on the personalities and judicial philosophies of those who served on the Supreme Court, as well as on the interplay between the Court’s rulings and the state’s unique history in such areas as slavery, women’s rights, land and water rights, the rise of the railroad and oil and gas industries, Prohibition, civil rights, and consumer protection. The book is illustrated with more than fifty historical photos, many from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It concludes with a detailed chronology of milestones in the Supreme Court’s history and a list, with appointment and election dates, of the more than 150 justices who have served on the Court since 1836.
An independent scholar, James L. Haley is the author of fourteen books, including award-winning books on Texas history. Among them are Passionate Nation: The Epic History of Texas and Sam Houston, winner of nine historical and literary awards. Haley’s book Wolf: The Lives of Jack London won the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award for Best Biography. He has also written several novels.