Best Judicial System Books of 2025

The book "Nine Black Robes" by Joan Biskupic provides an inside look at the history-making era in the Supreme Court during the Trump and post-Trump years. Biskupic details how rights are stripped away or expanded through the inner maneuverings among the Supreme Court justices. The book reveals the private dramas and conflicts of the court, ultimately leading to the seismic reversal of Roe v. Wade and a half-century of women's abortion rights. Overall, Biskupic's informative, briskly paced, and gracefully written book offers a fascinating and urgent look at the Supreme Court's drive to the right and its historic consequences.

The Shadow Docket by Stephen Vladeck is an eye-opening account of the Supreme Court's increasing use of the "shadow docket" to make significant decisions behind closed doors, without public hearings or explanation. Vladeck argues that this lack of transparency and accountability poses a threat to the rule of law and the Court's institutional legitimacy. Through accessible prose, he sheds light on the Court's use of the shadow docket to green-light restrictive voting laws, curtail immigration, and ban abortion. This expert study is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of the American judicial system.

The Scheme by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is an eye-opening account of how anonymous donors and right-wing billionaires seized control of the US judiciary, including the Supreme Court. Whitehouse traces the motive to control the court system back to Lewis Powell's notorious memo and chronicles a hidden-money campaign using an armada of front groups. The book is a must-read for those interested in understanding how corporate influence has targeted the judiciary and degraded democracy. It is a unique and insightful account of a powerful and hidden apparatus that has spent years trying to corrupt politics and control courts.

FRAMED: The Corruption and Cover-up Behind the Wrongful Conviction of William Michael Dillon and his Twenty-Seven Year Fight for Freedom is a gripping true-life story that exposes the corrupt Florida judicial system that wrongfully convicted William Dillon of murder. The book reveals a sinister conspiracy and cover-up, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the flaws of the justice system. The author's meticulous research and Dillon's brave fight against the odds make this book a unique and inspiring read.

"Her Honor: Stories of Challenge and Triumph from Women Judges" is an inspiring book that features personal stories by and about some of the most respected female judges in the US. The book portrays the challenges and successes of these judges, including the inequality, bias, and other barriers they faced and overcame in their lives. The stories are all too recognizable by women who may currently be experiencing similar challenges and biases in their own career. Overall, the book is a must-read for law students, lawyers, and anyone interested in the legal profession. It's a unique book that offers hope and pride at a time when surveys reveal declining trust in our courts."

The gripping story of the Supreme Court’s transformation from a measured institution of law and justice into a highly politicized body dominated by a right-wing supermajority, told through the dramatic lens of its most transformative year, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning law columnist for The New York Times. “A dazzling feat . . . meaty, often scintillating and sometimes scary . . . Greenhouse is a virtuoso of SCOTUS analysis.”—The Washington Post. In Justice on the Brink, legendary journalist Linda Greenhouse gives us unique insight into a court under stress, providing the context and brilliant analysis readers of her work in The New York Times have come to expect. In a page-turning narrative, she recounts the twelve months when the court turned its back on its legacy and traditions, abandoning any effort to stay above and separate from politics. With remarkable clarity and deep institutional knowledge, Greenhouse shows the seeds being planted for the court’s eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade, expansion of access to guns, and unprecedented elevation of religious rights in American society. Both a chronicle and a requiem, Justice on the Brink depicts the struggle for the soul of the Supreme Court, and points to the future that awaits all of us.

The Law of Judicial Precedent is a comprehensive hornbook-style treatise on the doctrine of precedent authored by 13 distinguished coauthors, including 12 appellate judges. The book offers theoretical, historical, and practical insights into how past decisions guide future ones in the American legal system. With more than 2,500 illustrative cases discussed or cited in the text, the authors have produced a single authoritative volume that is accessible to judges, lawyers, law students, and anyone interested in understanding the role of precedents in American law. This book is an essential read for anyone concerned with the state of the law.

Licensed to Lie is a gripping true story that exposes the corruption in the Department of Justice. Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor, tells the tale of a group of narcissistic prosecutors who broke all the rules and rose to great power, sending innocent people to prison. The book reads like a legal thriller and exposes the judges who turned a blind eye to their abuses of unfettered power. This book is highly recommended for those interested in white-collar crime and government investigations.

The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts, written by Joan Biskupic, provides a comprehensive analysis of the Supreme Court's Chief Justice. The book delves into the significant legal decisions during Roberts' tenure so far and his motivations behind them. Biskupic contends that Roberts is torn between his conservative agenda and protecting the Court's image and his place in history. The Chief reveals the making of a justice and the drama on this nation's highest court. Overall, the book is an insightful and thought-provoking read, shedding light on the tensions within the Supreme Court and the pressures brought to bear on the justices by outsiders.

This book titled "The Chevron Doctrine: Its Rise and Fall, and the Future of the Administrative State" by Thomas Merrill, explores the past, present, and future of the Chevron doctrine, a legal principle that has become highly controversial in how Congress's laws are applied by the executive branch. The book highlights the immense consequences and criticisms of the Chevron doctrine, including its enabling of unaccountable bureaucratic power. Merrill suggests a way forward, emphasizing the proper relationship between agencies and courts in interpreting laws, given the strengths and weaknesses of these institutions. This book is an insightful read for those interested in the administrative state and its impact on the American legal system.