Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor

Product Description Meet Robert H. Jackson in an engaging biography, the first in fifty years. For four hours on November 21, 1945, the world watched and listened as Justice Robert H. Jackson, on leave from the U.S. Supreme Court, introduced the Allies' case against the high-ranking Nazi leadership at the Nuremberg Trial. For the first time, a country's leaders were being tried for war crimes, in large part owing to Jackson's efforts. Gail Jarrow's biography of Robert H. Jackson (1892–1954) details the personal journey of this extraordinary man from his childhood in rural New York; to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal inner circle during the Great Depression; to the position of attorney general while the nation prepared for World War II; to the Supreme Court bench when it ruled on such significant cases as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and to chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial. Despite his remarkable accomplishments, Jackson never attended college or earned a law degree. Using primary sources—including Jackson's papers in the Library of Congress and materials from the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, New York—Jarrow tells the fascinating story of a lawyer and judge dedicated to the rule of law. A timeline, bibliography, source notes, additional resources, and index are included. From School Library Journal Grade 6–9—Clear writing, well-placed black-and-white photographs, and extensive research combine to illuminate Jackson's extraordinary life. Chapters on his childhood in rural Frewsburg, NY, his successes on the high school debate team and as a young orator, his law apprenticeship, and his experiences at Albany Law School are included. Jarrow also details how Jackson became an adviser to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was elected to the Democratic Party's state committee, and made a name for himself as one of the nation's top trial lawyers. Moving up the political ladder, Jackson was appointed to the positions of solicitor general and attorney general, and then to the Supreme Court. When World War II ended, he became the chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials, representing the United States government in these historic international proceedings. The author's treatment of the trials is perhaps the most interesting portion of the book and will be especially useful to social-studies teachers looking for supplemental information for World War II and Holocaust curricula. An impressively detailed and fascinating treatment of a little-known yet important figure in American history.— Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Framed by Jackson’s famous speech as chief American prosecutor at the 1945 international Nuremberg trial of Nazi war criminals, this detailed biography sets his law career within the history and politics of his time and raises essential issues of human rights. Born on a farm, he grew up to become part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inner circle, where he worked on the New Deal and was appointed attorney general and then Supreme Court justice, even though he never earned a law degree. There is a lot about family and friends here, but Jarrow focuses mainly on the courtroom and the law, including a long insert on Supreme Court history, structure, and procedure. The Nuremberg history and Jackson’s stand against Japanese American internment during World War II will fascinate readers, many of whom will see parallels to contemporary questions about the balance between citizens’ rights and national security. Small black-and-white photos illustrate the text; extensive back matter includes a time line, a bibliography, and source notes. Grades 8-12. --Hazel Rochman Review * "Jarrow's engrossing biography should bring Robert H. Jackson some well-deserved attention. . . . An outstanding addition to most collections. (timeline, source notes, bibliograp