The State and Federal Courts: A Complete Guide to History, Powers, and Controversy. Edited by Christopher P. Banks. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2017. 513 pages. Acid free $105 (ISBN 978-1-4408-4145-3). E-book available (978-1-4408-4146-0), call for pricing.

This volume provides a very matter-of-fact overview of the American judiciary system at both the state and federal level. The first half is comprised of three “regular” book chapters covering the history and structure and fundamental roles, functions, and powers of the courts—not exactly quick reference material, but these considerable reads could actually make for suitable course material for an American Government class (high school or undergraduate level).

The entire second half is comprised of chapter 4 where the real “referencey” section begins. It is here where the many issues and controversies surrounding the judicial branch are discussed. It is not a chronology of events or rulings, but rather a compendium of some of the more complex and often controversial aspects of the courts, giving examples for each. Topics here include: “Judicial Review” “Public Access to Courts,” “Judicial Campaigns and the First Amendment,” and “The Role of the American Bar Association.” The final section of the chapter gives a rundown of the most polarizing issues that the courts have dealt with over the years. Included here are all the “hot topics” one would expect, such as: “Same-Sex Marriage,” “Religious Freedom,” “Gun Ownership,” “Capital Punishment,” “Abortion Restrictions,” etc. The currency is evident throughout, with examples drawn from cases as recent as 2016, and by the inclusion of “The Affordable Care Act” as one of the topics discussed. The “Further Readings” also include some very recent articles and reports along with seminal work. Back matter includes a “Glossary of Concepts, Laws, and People” and an “Annotated Bibliography.”

While there are many other reference works dealing with some aspect of the US courts, most often the Supreme Court, none are quite like this in its organization and content. I guess you could say that it is without “precedent,” primarily for its treatment of the state courts. For broader coverage of “landmark cases” at the national level, I would suggest either Supreme Court Drama: Cases That Changed America, 2nd ed (Gale, 2011) or Landmark decisions of the United States Supreme Court (CQ Press, 2008), although both already suffer slightly from datedness. Other somewhat comparable reference works include Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court (CQ Press, 2010) and Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States (Gale, 2008), but again, these do not cover the state courts.

Overall, I would say that this book would make a nice addition to any high school or undergraduate library, especially if on a tight budget and in need of a concise single volume to fill a subject gap in the collection. Admittedly, one could achieve a pretty good grasp of the subject matter contained here in various places around the free web, but as a single stop location for introductory and supplemental material on everything “American courts,” this book does deliver the goods.—Todd J. Wiebe, Head of Research and Instruction, Van Wylen Library, Hope College, Holland, Michigan