Book Review by Thomas E. Baker
The publication of these edited recordings of “significant” oral arguments was itself a significant event for students and teachers of constitutional law. I was one of those who rushed out to buy the set and this past semester and I played some of the arguments in my advanced elective course on the First Amendment. As a long-time student of the Supreme Court, a law teacher, a scholar, and an advocate for televising oral arguments, I agree that these recordings represent an important “‘contribut[ion] to educators' and the public's understanding of the Court's role and the function of oral argument.”’
The book and the tapes can be purchased separately, although I do not understand what good one would be without the other. The book contains transcripts of the recordings and other useful material. The introduction provides a general discussion of oral argument at the high court and the issues addressed in the selected cases. Following the introduction are five chapters that loosely group the twenty-three arguments. A brief overview of the subject area begins each chapter. For each Supreme Court case, the editors provide one page of background, an edited transcript of the recording, a heavily-edited version of the written opinions, and a bibliography.
About the Author
Thomas E. Baker. Alvin R. Allison Professor, Texas Tech University School of Law. B.S., Florida State University, 1974; J.D., University of Florida, 1977.
Citation
69 Tul. L. Rev. 319 (1994)