The Fuller Court

A fresh interpretation of the workings and legacy of the Supreme Court during the tenure of Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller.

The Fuller Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy presents an in-depth analysis of the decisions and impact of the U.S. Supreme Court during the twenty-two year reign of Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller. An exploration of key Court decisions-ranging from railroad rate regulation and the Due Process Clause to the 1894 income tax-reveals how the Court assigned a high priority to individual liberty, which it defined largely in economic terms.



A revealing discussion of the Commerce Clause and the Interstate Commerce Commission shows how the Fuller Court both limited and accepted some expansion of federal authority. Profiles of the nineteen justices who served on the Fuller Court place a special emphasis on those who made the most significant impact, including John Marshall Harlan, Samuel F. Miller, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.









Places the work of the Fuller Court in historical context and examines the economic and social changes that were transforming U.S. society at the end of the 19th century



Provides an analysis of the historical impact and continuing legacy of the Fuller Court's decisions in the areas of federalism, protection of liberty, and the rights of property owners