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 over President Obama's forthcoming nomination of a new justice, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, it's a ripe time to study up on the history of the country's highest court.

, a University of Minnesota professor and author of 

"Oral Arguments and Decision Making on the U.S. Supreme Court,"

 shared a reading list for those curious about the court. 

A "Supreme" reading list: On the history of the Supreme Court

Publishers provided the book descriptions below.

"The Choices Justices Make" by Jack Knight and Lee Epstein

"The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court" by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong

"Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Supreme Court Justices" by Noah Feldman

"Deciding to Decide: Agenda Setting in the United States Supreme Court" by H.W. Perry, Jr.

"The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment That Redefined the Supreme Court" by John W. Dean

"Gideon's Trumpet" is the history of James Earl Gideon's landmark fight for the right to legal counsel. The book has sold more than 800,000 copies since it was first published in 1964.

"Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey" by Linda Greenhouse

"Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court" by Edward Lazarus

For those specifically interested in confirmation hearings, Johnson recommended two books: "Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings in the U.S. Senate: Reconsidering the Charade," by Dion Farganis and Justin Wedeking; and "Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings and Constitutional Change," by Paul Collins and Lori Ringhand.

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Tracy Mumford

Author

Curious about the history of the court? Or how future confirmation hearings may play out? U of M professor Tim Johnson nominates these titles for your "must read" list.

Visitors line up outside of the U.S. Supreme Court

A "Supreme" reading list: Books about SCOTUS

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