Law Commons^™

The General Court Of Virginia, 1619–1776, William Hamilton Bryson

Law Faculty Publications

"The General Court of Virginia began with the reorganization of the government of the colony of Virginia in 1619. The court was established not for any political motives to control, or for any financial motives to collect lucrative fines, but it was a part of the tradition of good government. Private disputes are better settled in official courts of law rather than by self-help and vendetta. Therefore, access to the courts is good public policy.

From its foundation in 1607 until 1624, Virginia was a private corporation that was created by a succession of royal charters; in its organization, it …

Mcculloch V. Madison: John Marshall's Effort To Bury Madisonian Federalism, Kurt T. Lash

Law Faculty Publications

"In his engaging and provocative new book, The Spirit of the Constitution: John Marshall and the 200-Year Odyssey of McCulloch v. Maryland, David S. Schwartz challenges McCulloch’s canonical status as a foundation stone in the building of American constitutional law. According to Schwartz, the fortunes of McCulloch ebbed and flowed depending on the politics of the day and the ideological commitments of Supreme Court justices. Judicial reliance on the case might disappear for a generation only to suddenly reappear in the next. If McCulloch v. Maryland enjoys pride of place in contemporary courses on constitutional law, Schwartz argues, then this …