The Making of Modern Law:

Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, Part I: 1950‒1980

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The Making of Modern Law:

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Product Category
Gale Primary Sources
Series
The Making of Modern Law
Pages
Approximately 600,00+
Fact Sheet
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Surface Precedents and Outcomes with Historical Lower Court Records

The Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980 features more than 600,000 pages of briefs (appellants’, appellees’, reply, amicus), appendices, memoranda, petitions, transcripts, and more from the lower courts. More than presentations of legal issues, the valuable historical documents provide a comprehensive review of trial history from all courts of appeals, including these major circuits:

  • Second Circuit, New York—one of the most influential, often cited in business and copyright law rulingsDistrict of Columbia Circuit,
  • Washington, D.C.—especially relevant to cases on constitutional and administrative law
  • Ninth Circuit, California—regarded as the most liberal of circuit courts

In 1993, Margaret Leary, law librarian at the University of Michigan Law School, wrote 
“The Case of the Disappearing Briefs: A Study in Preservation Strategy,” which cautioned against the practice of discarding critical court documents. Gale is proud to be involved in the preservation of these records, now providing critical access for years to come.

The Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980 makes available records allowing scholars in legal studies, 20th-century American social history, and politics to: 
• Gain insights into legal reasoning used by the parties in advancing their positions. 
• Identify the authorities used to support an argument.
• Find specific documents from a trial or appellate proceeding.
• Find transcripts of testimony and other sources for historical research.

Never before has there been the level of scrutiny and debate on legal issues both past and present. The Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980 provides in-depth coverage of landmark cases for historical perspective and contemporary consideration. The collection features cases involving impeachment, constitutional rights, sexual harassment, campaign finance, and more, including:

Second Circuit Cases Among the Most Cited 

Dennis v. United States (landmark First Amendment case)
Galella v. Onassis (harassment by paparazzi)
United States v. Rosenberg (Julius and Ethel Rosenberg)
Holtzman v. Schlesinger (presidential war powers)
Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents (protection from unreasonable searches and seizures)
Inmates of Attica Correctional Facility v. Rockefeller (prison uprising)
Flood v. Kuhn (“reserve clause” in baseball)
United States v. Hiss (Alger Hiss)
Lennon v. Immigration and Naturalization Service (John Lennon)
New York Times Co. v. United States (Pentagon Papers)

District of Columbia Circuit Cases Among the Most Cited 

Canterbury v. Spence (landmark malpractice case)
Durham v. United States (insanity defense)
Rouse v. Cameron (right to treatment for mental patients)
Barnes v. Costle (first sexual harassment case)
Bundy v. Jackson (sexual harassment as workplace discrimination)
United States v. Brawner (insanity defense)
Nixon v. Sirica (Watergate scandal)
Buckley v. Valeo (campaign finance)
United States v. Haldeman (Watergate scandal)
Matlovich v. Secretary of the Air Force (military policy toward gays)

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Image from the Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980
Image from the Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980
Image from the Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980
Image from the Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1950‒1980

Additional Details

subjects covered

  • American History
  • Law & Legal Studies

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