All Those Cases

Abstract

Sometime in 1980s, William Nelson arranged to obtain complete set New York Supplement, both first and second series, and had it delivered to home office. The arrival so many thick (and no doubt dusty) volumes prompted author's father to express his concerns that house would collapse under weight (p. 446). Reading widely in 620 volumes was considerable task, but that was only part Nelson's research (p. 2). In addition, with help a small army research assistants, he acquired nearly fifty thousand cases from state and federal trial courts in state, which he subjected to statistical analysis (p. 443). Added to that were of other legal source material, including federal appellate from Second Circuit Court Appeals and New York District Courts, as well as hundreds books and articles (p. 443). Despite mountains other materials, Nelson, who has the common lawyer's faith that analysis judicial opinions is key to understanding has relied most heavily on as primary sources (p. 2). This reliance on analysis judges' opinions in is both strength and weakness Nelson's work. Nelson's labor in fields New York judicial opinions has born much fruit. Much this volume has been previously presented in fourteen different articles published in law reviews and in chapter in festschrift (p. 444). His work has been directed at filling an enormous gap in literature American Legal history: twentieth-century state constitutional and private law developments, ranging across topics as diverse as contract litigation, civil procedure, sexual morality, suburbanization, and constitutional equality (p. 1). In this work Nelson attempts to tie together these (and many other topics) in grand synthesis. Thus, book explores how private and public law, politics, and ideology changed in state during sixty years that were heart twentieth century (p. 3). Nelson has chosen to explore twentieth-century state constitutional and common law developments through example nation's most important