The Yale biographical dictionary of American law /

Editor Newman said it best when he stated, "Some subjects are famous for their deeds while others are notorious for them." To assist with the compilation of this authoritative volume on individuals ranging from the famous Oliver Wendell Holmes to the infamous Orenthal James (O. J.) Simpson, Newman gathered almost 600 experts. The roster is truly outstanding--many of these individuals could easily be subjects of one of the biographies. Each entry is thorough, yet succinct enough to be highly readable. However, the list of contributors could be enhanced by a reference to the individual subjects for which they are responsible. This highly useful resource is both compelling and entertaining. Those with even a remote connection to the field of law will want it as part of their collection. Newman has created another must-have volume in the field of law. His other works include Hugo Black: A Biography (2nd ed., 1997; 1st ed., CH, Apr'95, 32-4761) and the four-volume edited set The Constitution and Its Amendments (CH, Apr'99, 36-4252). Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. N. J. Goodman University of Texas-Pan American

This very traditional biographical dictionary presents brief profiles of Supreme Court justices and federal and state judges; attorneys general and solicitors general; lawyers with widely divergent private practices; prosecutors and defense attorneys, and more, including treatise writers, professors, historians, philosophers, novelists, and selected popular-culture heroes. In contrast to many biographical dictionaries, it does include living figures. For individuals with multifaceted careers, the entries focus on the legal aspects of their historical significance. The Franklin D. Roosevelt entry, for example, emphasizes his role in the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II over his role in setting military strategy. The editor made a special effort to include people who have been relatively underrepresented in previous works of this type: African Americans, women, Latinos, and others. Almost half of all U.S. presidents and Supreme Court justices are included. However, since the cutoff date is 2005, there are no entries for Justice John G. Roberts Jr. or Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. The almost 700 entries are signed by their contributors and generally run to one page or less. Each entry includes references, and some entries are accompanied by black-and-white photographs. There is no index. The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law offers a solid, concise roundup of influential figures in American legal history. Since undergraduate students today are accustomed to reference sources that are online and vibrantly colorful, it will probably not invite a lot of use by that crowd, but it is recommended for special collections and for law collections in academic and large public libraries.--Lichtenstein, Art A. Copyright 2009 Booklist

The first comprehensive, concise biographical dictionary of law-related figures in the United States from Colonial times to today, this A-to-Z provides approximately a page long and signed articles with references on judges, lawyers, law teachers, and others in law-related fields. It draws on the nearly 40 years of experience of editor Newman in studying and writing about the Supreme Court and American law while teaching at the Columbia University School of Journalism. The entries, while informative and authoritative, are not the dry writing one would expect to find in such a scholarly resource; rather, they are easy to read and engaging, making users want to find out more about additional people. Inclusion of not only biographical facts but also anecdotes and incidents regarding accomplishments gives this work a personal touch often lacking in a biographical dictionary. A drawback is the absence of cross-references between entries or the use of subject indexes and/or listings to help one find entries on specific types of people. Bottom Line Unbiased in coverage, the book does not exclude those who broke the law, but rather focuses on those related to the law, whether by practicing it or by otherwise becoming involved in the field. It is a valuable addition to any academic or law library; high school libraries may want to seriously consider adding it to their collections as well.-Sara Rofofsky Marcus, Queensborough Community Coll. Lib., Bayside, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.